About this episode

This episode explores the history and significance of the West Side Recreation Club in South Bend's African American community.

In this episode, we tell the story of 1415 West Washington Street, a building that’s easy to overlook today but for over 50 years served as the West Side Recreation Club, a vital gathering place and social hub for South Bend’s African American community. I meet with George Garner, the Assistant Director and Curator at Indiana University South Bend’s Civil Rights Heritage Center, and he does such a great job sharing the club's story. The West Side Recreation Club is featured in South Bend’s African American Landmark Tour, developed by the Indiana University South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center, and later expanded in George Garner’s book Placing History . Upstairs, the building housed offices of prominent African American professionals and leaders; downstairs, a pool hall that was frequently targeted by police. That contrast sheds light on how African American leadership and community grew in South Bend within a broader and often complicated civic landscape. Learn more about the African American Landmark Tour and the book, Placing History , at the link below: https://aalt.iusb.edu/index.html ______________________________________________________ Thank you to the Portage Township…

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Portage Township Trustee's Office

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