The Indiana Remembrance Coalition (IRC) is an interracial group of people from a variety of walks of life and religious affiliations. It is based in the Community for Contemplation and Justice at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. The IRC is working with community members to address racial injustices and systemically unequal treatment toward African Americans in Indianapolis.
In 1922, the lynching of George Tompkins, a young black man in Indianapolis, was front-page news. But, it was quickly swept under the rug and has since been largely forgotten. The IRC was formed to ensure this crime, and others like it, are not forgotten. They're also partnering with the ground-breaking Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Montgomery, Alabama, to formally memorialize the Tompkins murder. In addition, the ICRC is seeking allies in eight other Indiana counties where more than a dozen lynchings have long gone largely unacknowledged. As the EJI puts it, “achieving equality, justice, and fairness for all Americans starts with learning and sharing the truth about our past.”
The IRC gathers information and seeks community input and support. Its aim is to build awareness through personal and group interaction, classroom education, and media reporting as well as physical memorials such as markers, monuments, and murals.