Sampson Levingston, the moving force behind Through2Eyes, curates a special guide of Black History Month events and learning opportunities that keep him educated and inspired.
James Baldwin reminds us to look into the truth of ourselves and the truth of the history of our nation. This month is a both a celebration of Black art, history, and culture, and a deep look at the ugly truths of American history that we need not forget or ignore.
“This continent now is conquered, but our habits and our fears remain. And, in the same way that to become a social human being one modifies and suppresses and, ultimately, without great courage, lies to oneself about all one’s interior, uncharted chaos, so have we, as a nation, modified or suppressed and lied about all the darker forces in our history.” —James Baldwin
Levingston elaborates on this quote, saying, “There’s a lot of things that we ignore every day that are truths, and I don’t want to let those be forgotten. For a lot of people, ignoring and suppressing these thoughts about the world around them is the comfortable thing to do, but for me that’s so agonizingly uncomfortable. When people ask me to speak, I talk about what’s really happened, how it happened, who it happened to, who did it, and how it was done, and then I can go on and have a good day, as we all should be able to. But like Baldwin says, we lie to ourselves from time to time and I try to bring truth out when I can.
February 4 – March 2
Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W Washington St * $25-$108 *
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This play with music by Christina Ham and directed by Austene Van imagines a conversation among Simone and three other Black women. On February 8th, stay after the show for “Unapologetically Free–A Journey of Liberation for Black Women”, a post-show discussion on the themes explored in this production centered around the book A Black Woman’s Guide to Getting Free, authored by IRT Community Ambassador and panel moderator, Tamara Winfrey-Harris. She is joined by a panel of experts including Ambassadors LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Manon Voice, and Jessica Louise.
Seeds of Freedom: The Spiritual Roots of the American Civil Rights Movement4-5 p.m. February 9
Indiana State Museum, 650 W Washington St * $3 *
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A creative exploration of how belief and conviction can change the course of history. This production by Asante Art Institute of Indianapolis takes the audience on a historical journey predating enslavement. “Seeds of Freedom” is not only an artistic retelling of our history, but an invitation for reflection and personal response to the call for unity in helping our country keep its promise to its people of “liberty and justice for all.”
6 p.m. February 13
Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave * FREE *
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A multimedia art exhibition that foregrounds the narratives, experiences, and intersecting identities of Black women through poetry, film, photography, and visual art. Conceptualized by artist and poet Mariah Ivey, the exhibition builds upon her thesis, “Nourishing Well: Black Queer Women and the Sanctity of Language”, offering an inclusive exploration of art and language as pathways to healing, care, and justice.
Untold Stories of Black History – Black Barbie Community Screening7 p.m. February 22
Kan-Kan Cinema, 1258 Windsor St * FREE *
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Untold Stories of Black History at the Kan-Kan continues with a special free community screening of the documentary BLACK BARBIE on Saturday Feb 22nd, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Lagueria Davis.
Why Levingston loves Indiana Landmarks: “It really feels like I’m in night school. I like school, I love learning things, so it’s cool when someone wants to take time to teach you. Most recently I went to an Asian American Heritage talk and that was really cool because now I have a better understanding I can use for my tours. Eunice Trotter did a really good one about early Black history in Indiana. You know, you think you know so much stuff, but you never do! Trotter is running the African American division of Indiana Landmarks and she’s doing a phenomenal job. I’ve been to some about masonic temples, churches, etc., and all of these are just part of our story and I want to know the full story of Indiana. We’ll never know everything, but the more you know, the better.”
“It’s impossible for me to feel like there’s only one way to do a thing. There’s nothing wrong with having one way of doing it, but I think it’s a bad habit. I believe in range… if you don’t have complete freedom, or you won’t let yourself get away from that one straight line, oh, my goodness, that’s too horrible to even think about.” —Wes Montgomery
Levingston admires Wes Montgomery and looks to him to emulate because Montgomery was self-taught and did things his own way, as does Levingston. He says, “It’s his way. It’s an Indianapolis sound that’s heard all over the world, and he taught himself how to do it. I’m a self-taught historian. I obviously learn from people, but I learn a lot on my own. I didn’t go to school for history, and I really let the city of Indianapolis be my teacher—what I hear, what I see. And I let that be my guide for what I talk about and where I go. I really draw inspiration from Wes.”
Levingston leads “Walk and Talk” discussions to educate about Indianapolis’ past, never leaving out the parts that hurt. But his upbeat and energetic nature reminds his audience that when we learn and accept truths about our past, we can make necessary changes and progress forward. His talks take people to the ground the history happened on, visiting site-specific historic markers like Lincoln Hospital. He discusses this landmark, where a once thriving Black community existed, now replaced by a pile of interstate that destroyed the neighborhood of Indiana Avenue. He both explains the dark intentionality behind these decisions, as well as how the culture is reclaiming the area. Awareness is key with Levingston. He is documenting, and making, the future history of Indy.
In addition to hosting Walk and Talks, he hosts corporate events and talks, works with schools and local organizations, and presents special talks like “Hoosier Historia” during the 2024 NBA All-Star game and BUTTER Walk and Talks.
Don’t miss his free talk and workshop this month!
“No matter what’s going on you can always be inspired by history. People have been up against different obstacles all throughout time. Even if you think this is a wild time, which it is, times have been wilder than this and there were still people who persevered, did the right thing, and advocated for all different groups of people. I want to be like these people that I’m inspired by—I want to say something when I see things not going the way they should, I want to do something when I feel like something needs to be done. I’m inspired by the people who did what they needed to do and worked to move us forward despite all the forces trying to stop us and push us backwards. If you ever need inspiration, go look at history! There’s so much that has happened and if we didn’t have individuals who cared about their community then we could be A LOT worse off. I’m glad to be one of those people who now care, and I’m constantly inspired by the figures who I already know and the ones who I continue to learn about.” —Sampson Levingston
