The Civil Rights Heritage Center is committed to preserving and sharing the civil rights history of South Bend, Indiana, and its surrounding communities as part of the larger national narrative of activism among African Americans, Latinxs, LGBTQ, women, and additional marginalized and oppressed groups. The CHRC does so through educational initiatives such as our collection of local historical artifacts, our lending library, our oral history project, as well as our podcast.
Local History and Archives
Explore the history of South Bend and the United States from these online and in-person resources:
African American Landmark Tour
Visit some of the many sites in South Bend that were crucial to the growth and development of the city’s African American community. The tour includes homes of prominent leaders, black-owned businesses, churches, and additional places that played a significant role in the history of the area's black residents.
Are you a K-12 educator? There is a companion curriculum for use in your classroom. Visit to begin.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Placing History book
(Read on Apple iPad/iPhone, Kindle, or other e-reader)
(Read on almost any digital device)
Physical copies are available to own without financial cost while supplies last, or copies can be borrowed at both the Civil Rights Heritage Center, Franklin D. Schurz (IU South Bend campus), St. Joseph County Public, and Mishawaka Penn Harris public libraries. You can also download an e-book from the button below or by using the Libby app through the St. Joseph County Public Library.
Local History Podcast
"South Bend's Own Words" shares the stories of real South Bend people. Edited from the Oral History Collection of the Civil Rights Heritage Center at the Indiana University South Bend Archives, "South Bend's Own Words" showcases the experiences of people who lived, worked, and made South Bend their home.
Produced by students from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, and written and hosted by Civil Rights Heritage Center Assistant Director and Curator George Garner. Created by Kevin Tidmarsh and George Garner.
Listen and subscribe for free from your favorite podcast platform.
Archival Collection
The legacies of those who fought to promote equality, civil rights, and social justice in our community are too important to lose. The Civil Rights Heritage Center preserves and shares South Bend’s civil rights history, as well as the history of the African American, LGBTQ, and Latinx experiences. Our Archival Collection consists of thousands of documents, photographs, and artifacts from the early 20th through 21st centuries.
For questions or for additional information, contact George Garner at gwgarner@iusb.edu.
Library
With a wide range of subjects including slavery, the civil rights movement, race relations, and the experiences of African Americans, Latinxs, LGBTQ, and additional marginalized and oppressed people, our library contains over 1,500 titles ready for you to check out.
You can view the catalog online at the button below, or peruse the shelves in person.
When you're ready to check a book out, see any of the CRHC staff. They'll set you up with a CRHC library account and check out your books. The process is super simple, and takes less than five minutes.
There's also a section for juvenile readers, with hundreds of books of varying reading levels. Check some out for the young reader in your life!