Noblesville nonprofit receives $3K grant

By Matthew Kent matthew@youarecurrent.com

A nonprofit in Noblesville is among 15 entities across Indiana that have been awarded grant funding from Indiana Humanities.

Funding

Roberts Chapel Church and Burial Association received a $3,000 action grant from Indiana Humanities, which said that such grants support nonprofits that sponsor public humanities programs such as exhibitions, workshops, lectures and reading and discussion programs. The Noblesville nonprofit will host a panel of history scholars in June for a wide-ranging discussion about Free People of Color who came to Indiana during the early pioneer period (1820–1849) and established communities like Roberts Settlement in Hamilton County and other places in the state, according to Indiana Humanities.

Roberts Chapel Church and Burial Association said topics will include the Virginia and North Carolina beginnings, migration, settlement in Indiana, and the legacy and footprints left by the descendants of these early pioneers. The program is part of the 2023 Hamilton County bicentennial celebrations, officials said.

“The grants we’ve awarded during the first quarter of 2023 will support new programs and projects that bring Hoosiers together across the state for critical discussions about a wide range of topics,” said George Hanlin, director of grants at Indiana Humanities. “From projects about Black Hoosier History to civic engagement, we’re excited to help bring to life diverse public humanities programs.”

Roberts Settlement announced plans in February at the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Noblesville regarding the Roberts Settlement Legacy Walk, an interpretive outdoor exhibit to educate the public about Hamilton County’s Black pioneer history. It is seeking to raise $100,000 through a capital campaign known as IMAGINE! Black Pioneers.