Indiana

Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration, which starts earlier than usual, is in full swing

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration, which starts earlier than usual, is in full swing

The Summer Celebration is on.

The Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration 2024 kicked off Thursday with an ecumenical service at Kingdom Apostolic Ministries, 4900 E. 38th St. and is in full swing through June 30.

That means films, art exhibits and concerts celebrating Black American culture, along with conferences and summits focused on business, health education and youth leadership.

The Summer Celebration is one of the major events produced by Indiana Black Expo, a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic advancement of African Americans through year-round initiatives, including its Black Business Training Institute, Scholarship Fund, Performing Arts Academy and Community Learning Hub.

If you think it seems early for Black Expo, you’re not wrong. Normally Summer Celebration takes place in July but this year it’s a few weeks earlier because another large event is coming to town next month.

Here’s what to know about the 53rd Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration:

The 2024 Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration is in June

This year’s events, including a three-day exhibition at the Indiana Convention Center, take place June 20-30, to accommodate the National Eucharistic Congress being held at Lucas Oil Stadium July 17-21.

Indiana Black Expo will go back to its traditional July dates next year.

2024 Indiana Black Expo: Summer Celebration will come early this year

Celebrities appearing at the 2024 Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration

Notables are appearing at various conferences, receiving awards and performing throughout the Summer Celebration. Look for:

Atlantic Starr, recording artists
Kid Capri, DJ and producer
Morris Day and The Time, recording artists
Rick Fuson, recently retired Pacers Sports & Entertainment chief executive officer
Johnny Gill, recording artist
Ed Gordon, broadcaster and BET/CBS Special Correspondent
Ginuwine
Lalah Hathaway, recording artist
Joe Hogsett, Indianapolis mayor
Edgerrin James, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Indianapolis Colt
Next, recording artists
Soledad O’Brien, journalist and documentarian
Leon Robinson, actor
Karyn White, recording artist

IBE Film Festival

4 p.m., June 22

Indiana Black Expo, 601 N. Shortridge, Indianapolis

The annual fest has IBE screening independent films produced and written by African American and African filmmakers. The event is free and features discussions about selected titles and filmmaking in general.4 p.m. – Opening Remarks and Welcome4:05 p.m. – Short film screening: “Rasheeda’s Freedom Day”4:40 p.m. – Short film screening: “Black Girls Play”4:58 p.m. – Panel discussion5:28 PM – Feature film screening: “Black Barbie”

IBE Business Conference

June 24-25

Indiana Convention Center

This conference allows business owners to hear from key decision-makers about business development initiatives and multi-million dollar contracting opportunities as well as learn tips on doing business with public, private and international companies.

It includes a mayor’s breakfast and a governor’s awards reception.

IBX Youth Entrepreneur Series

9 a.m., June 25

Indiana Convention Center, Room 236-238

The IBX Youth Entrepreneur Series (YES) introduces middle and high school students to the basic concepts, activities and skills necessary for launching, leading, and growing a successful business. Workshops will help participants develop comprehensive business plans and prepare pitches that will be presented in competitions for prizes.

IBE Education Conference

June 27

Indiana Convention Center

The educational summit provides a platform for educators to explore innovative strategies and learn best practices to create a more equitable and impactful educational system.Keynote speakers are journalist O’Brien and Dr. Kymyona Burk, the senior policy fellow for early literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Black & Minority Health Fair

June 27-30

Indiana Convention Center

The annual health fair aims to increase minority awareness of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer, and how to prevent them.

It offers free health screenings and services; wellness resources; and engaging fitness activities for the Black and minority communities.

June 27 is a special night for seniors.

Admission is free.

Mental Health Symposium

June 27, June 29

Indiana Convention Center

The Indiana Black Expo will introduce its Mental Health Symposium to the Summer Celebration this year.

The two-day educational series, in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health, is part of IBE’s new year-round mental health educational series meant to boost knowledge of and address the stigma about brain health, particularly among Black Indianapolis residents.

Journalist Ed Gordon will host the event.

Part one of the symposium will take place 4:45-5:30 p.m. June 27 during the Black & Minority Health Fair, when expert panelists will discuss the importance of self-care and how to seek mental health support when needed for seniors and senior caregivers. Part two will take place 12-2 p.m. June 29 in the 500 Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center. Topics will include the basics of brain health; lifestyle choices; cognitive decline and dementia management; and navigating healthcare systems and resources.

Caregivers, friends and family members of individuals who have experienced mental health challenges, medical professionals, policymakers, community leaders and mental health advocates are encouraged to attend.

The symposium is free to the public.

Attendees can register for the symposium at tinyurl.com/2cu8a7f4 or visit eventbrite.com for the Cherish Your Mind: Understanding the Importance of Brain Health Symposium.

2024 Corporate Luncheon

11 a.m., Friday, June 28th

Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom

The Pacers Sports and Entertainment Corporate Luncheon will honor contributors to African American culture, progress and achievement.

Among the feted will be O’Brien, James, Fuson and Robinson.

Tickets are available at summercelebration.net.

Indiana Black Expo awards: 2024 honorees in African-American culture

Youth Leadership Summit

June 28

Indiana Convention Center

This three-day annual summit helps Indiana middle and high school students become more aware of STEM-related careers and better understand leadership, advocacy and civic responsibility.

Exhibition Hall

June 28-30

Indiana Convention Center

Vendors will offer food and merchandise throughout the Exhibition Hall. Visitors can check out Indiana and regional companies and organizations.

Also in the Expo Hall:

Cultural Arts Pavilion with exhibitions of the works of local and national artists and authors, including the Art Speaks Café, platforming local visual and performing artists. Expect live music; spoken word performances; free paint nights; and interactive art installations and sessions. June 28-30

The Indiana Black Expo Midwest Invitational Boxing Showcase, a competition between top amateur boxing teams from across Indiana, Ohio, Texas, and Missouri. 12 p.m., June 29-30

Textures Institute of Cosmetology Hair Show with beauticians and barbers competing. 1 p.m., June 29

IBE’s Fashion Show, with dozens of models of all ages highlighting top brands in the industry. 4:30 p.m., June 29

Man Made Improv teen-focused variety show hosted by J. Bland Made Man and featuring unscripted improv games, comical sketches, interactive crowd participation and music by DJ Boogie Bang. 6 p.m., June 29

Gospel Explosion, featuring choirs and entertainers. 4 p.m., June 30

Music Heritage Festival

6 p.m., June 28

IU Michael A. Carroll Stadium, 1001 W. New York St., Indianapolis,

The traditional Outdoor Concert gets a new location and requires tickets, starting at $10 each.

Doors open at 4 p.m. with food trucks on-site. Kids ages 2 and under are free when seated on a parent’s lap. Ages 3 and up must have a ticket. To avoid Ticketmaster fees, purchase at ticketmaster.com.

The 2024 Indiana Black Expo outdoor concert lineup:

The Black Expo summer concert: The lineup and changes for 2024

The 2024 All White Affair and Concert

10 p.m., June 29

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Guests in all-white attire will experience live music and networking opportunities with celebrity guests and artists. Tickets, available at Gainbridge Fieldhouse or ticketmaster.com, are required.

2024 All White Affair and Concert Lineup:

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X: @cherylvjackson.

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An Indiana secret: Someone has sprinkled holy water during championship run

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

An Indiana secret: Someone has sprinkled holy water during championship run

An Indiana University fan sprinkled holy water on the field before the Big Ten championship game.
The water came from a well at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington.
This water is believed by some to have spiritual and healing properties, with several cures attributed to it.

When photographer Garrett Ewald flew in from New York for the Big Ten Football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, he had no plans of pouring an 8-ounce bottle of holy water onto the Indiana end zone, water pumped from a well at a Catholic retreat center in Bloomington where the liquid has long been touted as having spiritual and healing properties.

He, admittedly, was a tad nervous that “someone might tackle me and call Homeland Security or something” as he nonchalantly sprinkled the holy water on Indiana football’s sideline and end zone before they took on Ohio State.

But his heart got the best of him. His roots got the best of him; he’s an IU grad. The idea of that water got the best of him. “What the hell?” said Ewald, who was on the field to shoot photos for The Bloomingtonian. “You never know.”

Earlier that day, Ewald had visited Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center a few miles west of Bloomington, located on a hilly, lush green, peaceful property where people have gathered to pray, to heal and to attend retreats for more than 30 years.

Ewald was brought there by his friend and longtime IU senior associate athletics director Harold Mauro, whose grandchild is buried on the property. For years, Mauro has been devoted to the center, doing maintenance and upkeep at the place he and those who love it call “the farm.”

Mauro not only spent 22 years as athletics administrator at IU, he played football for IU the last time the team made the Rose Bowl in 1968. He was a part of nine of IU’s 10 bowl games as a player, assistant coach or administrator.

“And so we were there with Harold visiting. My other friends were maybe a little bit more religious than I am, but I went with an open mind and was happy to see how much joy it brought to Harold,” Ewald said. “He mentioned in passing how the well on the property has had some moderately documented examples of miraculous healing. And he insisted on giving us (water), so he gave us a little plastic jug of water when we left.”

At some point on his drive to Lucas Oil Stadium from the farm, Ewald had an idea. “I said, ‘You know, I’ll bring some in and I’ll sprinkle it on the field.’” He dumped out an 8-ounce bottle of regular water, put the holy water in its place and made his move.

“I was trying to be a little bit surreptitious, so I walked holding the bottle in one hand, the lid just slightly open, and then my other hand had my cellphone,” he said. “I just kind of walked down behind the bench, dribbling water out as I went. And then I walked across the Indiana end zone as well, sprinkling the rest of the water as I went. And I let Harold know that I had done it, and he was like, ‘That’s great.’”

Mauro didn’t ask him to do it, but Ewald thought it would make him happy.

Then, Ohio State missed that 27-yard field goal wide left with less than 3 minutes to play, which could have tied the game 13-13. It was missed it in the end zone where Ewald had sprinkled the water.

IU walked away with its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945.

Of course, as faith usually goes, no one had any proof that water had done anything. Few even knew of Ewald’s sprinkling. But those who did, and those who believed, were all in on making sure that water followed IU as far as their magical football playoff run took them.

They made sure the holy water from the farm was in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. And it will be there Friday for the Peach Bowl.

And should IU make it to the national championship, the holy water will flow there as well.

PERFECT! Buy this IU football championship book

‘Our Lady was like the 12th man on the field’

Fr. Terrance Chartier didn’t find out the water from his farm had blessed the IU portion of Lucas Oil’s field until after the game when Mauro’s wife sent him a video of Ewald pouring it out at the stadium.

“And I thought of Our Lady as like the 12th man on the field,” said Chartier, a priest with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, who is stationed at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center. “I thought she was there, especially with the field goal. Indoors, no wind, no rain, 27-yard field goal.

“I watched almost in disbelief as the kicker totally missed. I noted afterwards that the kicker was kicking into the same end zone with Indiana’s name on it, same end zone where Indiana had scored their touchdown in the third quarter and the same end zone that I saw Harold’s friend sprinkling the farm water in that video.”

Chartier scrapped the homily he had prepared on habits for the following Sunday morning and replaced it with an IU football-themed homily instead, which explained more about the water on his farm and what had happened in Indianapolis the weekend before.

“For those of you who don’t know, the water from the well here at the farm has reportedly been the cause of a number of miraculous cures,” Chartier said in his homily.

One of the biggest and most recent happened in January 2024 when Eric Johnson of New Albany, who had been suffering from a neuromuscular disease for nearly eight years and had a permanent disability, started drinking the water.

“He was actually cured of it after drinking water from the farm,” Chartier said. “His neurologist told him that there was no medical or scientific explanation for his cure.”

Chartier points to a number of similar stories regarding the farm water, including a spiritual directee of his in Norway who drank the water and believes she was cured of her lymphoma because of it. There are dozens of other, smaller, cures the water has brought to people, including cataracts, aches and pain and emotional distress.

“So, I knew the farm water and I knew it’s holy and I believe it was given by God to help heal people. But to help IU win the Big Ten championship? I hadn’t thought about that,” Chartier said.

But then he started thinking about Mauro, who has been so faithful to the farm, about his ties with IU and the fact that he is the one who gave Ewald the water, never expecting it would be used for IU football.

“I think she gave that victory last Saturday to Harold as an early Christmas gift, to thank him for his faithfulness and for all the good that he’s done for the farm,” Chartier said in his homily. “And I think she gave the victory also as a gift to her other son, the IU quarterback [Fernando Mendoza], who is a very faithful Catholic, too. And even as a gift to her other faithful children who were on the team.

“So may she, our lady of victories, continue to grant us all the spiritual victories that we need in this life, and even some of those other victories which are a sign and an encouragement to us, her children.”

Why is the water at Mother of the Redeemer considered holy?

Jim and Ruth Ann Wade, both longtime educators in Bloomington’s public schools, made way for the retreat center in 1993 when they gave up their home and farm, and dedicated it for Mother of the Redeemer.

Ruth Ann is a locutionist, Chartier said, someone who hears directly from the Lord and from Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“And that was one of the first things that they had asked for, that the farm would be turned into a retreat center,” he said. “And she was told, among other things, that the water on the property is holy and it could be used for blessing people and healings as well.”

But not all the water on the property is holy, only the water that flows from the green pump.

“The Lord Jesus told Ruth Ann that all the water under the original 40 acres, green pump only, is holy water and blessed by God and it has healing powers which God uses as an instrument of healing if he so chooses,” according to Mother of the Redeemer. “This pump is the only pump on the land that comes directly from the natural waters. Other water on the property is city water. Simply put, yes it is holy water blessed by God and by a priest.”

The water comes from a well located at the bottom of the hill on the property next to the Wades’ home. People travel from all over to get jugs of the water, which volunteers at the center pump. Visitors are also welcome to pump their own water and, after Chartier’s homily, there’s been quite an uptick in travelers to the well.

As for Ewald, he is making sure a bit of that water ends up on IU’s end zone for the rest of the season.

He made it happen at the Rose Bowl, albeit, he only had about two tablespoons to sprinkle. That water was brought from Mother of the Redeemer by a priest close with Mendoza and other players on the team.

Fr. Patrick Hyde, a Dominican priest and pastor of the St. Paul Catholic Center, held a private mass for players in Pasadena the night before the Rose Bowl. Mendoza, a devout Catholic, credited Hyde and the center for supporting his faith when he won the Heisman trophy.

Ewald met Hyde that night (the priest was wearing an IU sweatshirt and backpack) to secure the water.

“It was a little tiny bottle. They were nervous about how much they could bring, so it was like maybe a couple tablespoons of water,” Ewald said. “So I was a little bit more judicious in my sprinklings to make it last.” That meant no sprinkling on the sideline by the Indiana bench, just on its end zone.

“And we had so much rain,” Ewald said. “I was kind of like, you know, theoretically, it was getting diluted by all the rainwater.” But IU won, so it seemed to work.

Father Hyde will bring Ewald more water Friday night in Atlanta and the IU grad from the 1980s and one of the most veteran photographers of IU football will do his thing again.

Ewald’s just worried about one minor issue: This story will be published before the Peach Bowl.

“Well, hopefully they won’t detain me when I come in,” he said, “saying, ‘You’re the guy who’s been sprinkling water on our fields, damn it.’”

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.

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Indiana

Nick Saban gives thoughts on Kalen DeBoer, Alabama’s blowout loss to Indiana

Published

18 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Nick Saban gives thoughts on Kalen DeBoer, Alabama’s blowout loss to Indiana

Nick Saban had a chance to weigh in on the state of Alabama football after 2025 on Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show.

McAfee questioned whether Alabama should have hired a Saban disciple to replace him considering all four coaches left in the playoff once worked for Saban at Alabama.

“I think if somebody was available, I’m not sure anybody was available that they could have maybe gotten to come here,” Saban said. “I do think that Kalen DeBoer is a really good coach and doing a good job here.”

Saban highlighted the “tough transition” DeBoer underwent with all of the players coming and going.

“So that’s a lot to overcome for anybody,” Saban said. “It would have been a lot to overcome for even for one of the guys that formerly coached for me.”

Saban then said he “fully supports” Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne, what he’s done and how the administrator has done it.

“I’m hoping they get the ship going in the right direction here,” Saban said. “It’s not bad to get in the playoffs and finish you know in the final eight, but not the expectation around here, which is tough to live up to sometimes.”

During his appearance on McAfee, Saban also talked some about Indiana and what the Hoosiers did to beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bow.

“Indiana man, I mean they were impressive in the game,” Saban said. “Not that Alabama played great, and they made some mistakes early on that hurt them … These cats, man. Everybody talks about their offense. They’ve got some dawgs on defense now. These guys play hard, they play fast, they play together, they don’t make a lot of mental mistakes. They’re well coached. They fit the runs. This pop they put on Ty (Simpson) right here. …. Incredible the job they’ve done at Indiana. Curt Cig has done a fantastic job there.”

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Our childhoods were awesome. Let’s legalize kids playing outside. | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Our childhoods were awesome. Let’s legalize kids playing outside. | Opinion

We loved our free-range childhoods. Now we’re fighting to make sure Hoosier parents won’t get arrested for giving their kids the same freedom.

Jake Teshka and Victoria Garcia Wilburn
| Opinion Contributors

It’s tempting to think Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on anything these days, but the two of us wholeheartedly agree on this:

Our childhoods were awesome.

In fact, we loved our childhoods so much, we are co-sponsoring a bill that would ensure Indiana parents can let their kids enjoy their childhoods just as much. Under our bill, parents can let their kids play outside, walk to the store, romp in the woods and stomp in the rain without worrying that this wonderful independence could be mistaken for neglect.

The so-called “Reasonable Childhood Independence” bill has been passed in 11 states so far — red, blue, and purple. It is not a free pass for abusive parents. It is reassurance for all decent Hoosiers that they don’t have to worry about being investigated or arrested for giving their kids some unsupervised time.

House Bill 1035 simply says that “neglect” is when you put your child in obvious and serious danger — not anytime you take your eyes off them. This helps parents who want to give their kids a longer leash. And it helps parents in poverty who have little choice but to do so — for instance, a single mom working two jobs who lets her kid come home with a latchkey.

It also helps all the parents desperate to get their kids off screens: You take away the phone — and open the door.

Our own childhoods were as outdoors and free range as they come. Jake grew up in Michiana, running around, looking for trees to build tree houses in. Other times he’d jump on his bike and go to the ballpark with friends, or go get a burger or even, yes, some Big League Chew.

Victoria biked all over the place, too — after telling her parents where she was heading. (No cell phones back then.) There was a hill everyone loved to ride down and a 7-Eleven where she’d go with her friends for lunch, which consisted of … a Slurpee. Yes, your elected representatives made some slightly suboptimal choices as kids. That’s part of growing up. It was a magical time.

It was also foundational. Jake works in commercial construction when he’s not legislating. He credits the give-and-take of those unsupervised ballgames with building the client skills he uses to this day. (And maybe the tree houses launched his career in construction.)

Victoria went on to become an associate professor and program director in occupational therapy at Indiana University. Working with young kids, she has seen the slow decline in developmental milestones as the run-around childhood got replaced by a sedentary, screen-based one.

That’s another reason we are so keen to pass this bill. Autonomy isn’t something “nice” to have. It is crucial. We all know about the youth mental health crisis. Let’s make it at least as easy for kids to go outside as it is for them to go online.

Some people may think the reason a supervised, structured childhood has become so normal is because the crime rate is so high. But the murder rate today is lower than it was in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

The Reasonable Childhood Independence bill allows parents to decide for themselves when their kids are ready to do some things on their own.

“As parents, you have a good understanding of where your children are on their level of responsibility,” says Rep. Ryan Lauer, Vice Chair of the House Family and Children Committee, who is also co-sponsoring this bill.

And yet we’ve all heard the stories of decent parents being investigated simply because they didn’t hover — like that mom in Georgia, Brittany Patterson, arrested in 2024 because her 10-year-old walked to town without telling her. Or that mom in South Carolina, Debra Harrell, a few years back. She let her daughter, 9, play at a popular sprinkler park while she worked her shift at McDonald’s. For this, Harrell was thrown in jail and had her daughter taken from her for 17 days.

As parents, we shudder at the thought of overreach like that. We also shudder at the thought of child abuse. By narrowing the definition of neglect, our law gives hardworking Department of Child Services personnel more time to focus on the kids who are truly in danger.

Hoosier parents deserve the freedom to take their eyes off their kids when they know their kids are ready. Hoosier kids deserve to enjoy that freedom. And if they use it to make a tree house or drink a Slurpee for lunch, well, that’s not against the law.

Rep. Jake Teshka represents Indiana’s 7th District (St. Joseph, Marshall and LaPorte counties). Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn represents Indiana’s 32nd District (Marion and Hamilton counties).

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