Jul 7, 2015
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Founded in 1970 by a group of civic leaders, Indiana Black Expo (IBE) grew from an annual summer event to a major community organization with year-round activities. The IBE Summer Celebration - which marks its 45th year July 9-19 - debuted on June 19, 1971, with more than 50,000 people attending the two-day event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
That first Summer Celebration was an exposition showcasing black achievements in culture, art, history and economics. Today, the event has expanded to include a youth leadership summit, an education conference, health and job fairs, and performances by rhythm and blues stars such as Patti Labelle. Previous celebrities included author Alex Haley, B.B. King, actress Cicely Tyson, Stevie Wonder, Muhammad Ali and Jesse Jackson. IBE was modeled on similar expos hosted by Operation PUSH in Chicago and other cities across the country. Within a few years, IBE had outgrown the Fairgrounds and began holding its Summer Celebration at the Indianapolis Convention Center, which will be the headquarters for most events this year. In October 1984, IBE began hosting the Circle City Classic in addition to the Summer Celebration. The program offers similar programs and activities seen during the summer, but the Circle City Classic is best known for including a Friday night college football game. The event, which also features marching bands, coaches’ luncheons, job fairs and concerts, has drawn more than 70,000 fans each year. |