From exclusion to empowerment: Indiana Black lawyers & judges

Prior to 1900, there were very few Black lawyers practicing in and around Indianapolis. The first Black attorney admitted to the bar in Indianapolis was James T.V. Hill, who practiced law from 1882 to 1928 and was active in civic affairs. The Marion County Lawyers Club was created in 1925 for the growing Black lawyer population in Indianapolis to have a safe space. In 1942, the name changed to the Marion County Bar Association (MCBA). “We will celebrate 100 years next year. That’s a huge accomplishment, and we still play an important role in this community. Historically, we are a minority bar association, but we do have non-minority members,” said Marion County Superior Court Judge and Marion County Bar Association President Charnette D. Garner. The association was established as a direct result of exclusionary policies practiced by white contemporary associations. Although injustices toward minorities in the early 1900s were at a high, in 1909 Indiana witnessed the birth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Urban League. “You must go back even further in history. Indiana was a free state, but the Indiana Constitution did deny Black men the right to vote in...