MARTINSVILLE — The verdict was loud and clear, and repeated over and over again lest anyone should miss it: Martinsville is tired of being defined by the Indianapolis news media.
Last Friday saw the first ever Juneteenth celebration held in Martinsville, organized by Martinsville resident Jeannine Lee Ferrer and members of the local Democratic Party.
Juneteenth — a portmanteau of June 19 — was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, but it’s been celebrated widely by many Black Americans since 1866. The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the final slaves in Texas were freed by the U.S. Army after the end of the Civil War.
Friday’s event, held at the Martinsville Senior Center, was indeed celebratory, as the building was decked out with green, yellow and red balloons, and a large handmade banner reading, “Juneteenth, Welcome to our City,” was pinned to the wall.
Dozens of local residents, as well as some visitors from out of town, packed the building, and there was plenty of food and drinks for everyone.
But along with the celebration also came several defiant declarations, and speakers at the event repeatedly referenced negative news articles about Martinsville leading up to Friday.
The news articles expressed surprise that Martinsville would host an event celebrating a holiday widely observed by Black Americans, given the city’s negative reputation relating to race relations over the years.
Various media — from Indianapolis newspapers to TV stations — described Martinsville as a former “sundown town,” unsafe for people of color, and unfailingly referenced the murder of Carol Jenkins in 1968.
Jenkins, a 21-year-old Black woman, was stabbed to death in Martinsville by a Hendricks County resident affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. Her murder went unsolved until 2002, during which time Martinsville was branded with a reputation for being racist toward minorities.
Although no Martinsville residents were involved in Jenkins’ death, the city nevertheless laid a memorial plaque for Jenkins near city hall in 2017, and offered conciliatory condolences to her family in a ceremony spearheaded by former mayor Shannon Kohl.
Martinsville’s history and reputation was relitigated repeatedly on Friday night, as each speaker declared Martinsville both a nice place to live, as well as a welcoming place to people of color.
“This community is a safe space for all people,” Ferrer said. “Aren’t you tired of hearing about how Martinsville is such a terrible place to live? I know I’m tired of hearing about it.
“There’s not one time that I’ve been in this city when I’ve been treated badly, or called names,” Ferrer added. “We are ready to turn a page here in Martinsville.”
‘I see the change’
Ferrer announced the Juneteenth celebration just three days before the event, and a number of people on social media reacted with skepticism. Comments, mostly made by people who do not live in Morgan County, expressed doubt that Martinsville would sincerely celebrate the holiday.
During her keynote speech at the event on Friday, Ferrer said she understood some of the skepticism.
Ferrer said she moved to Martinsville in 2021, following her now-husband who initially told her he lived “south of Greenwood,” a comment that elicited knowing laughs from people in the audience. Ferrer said she had heard bad things about Martinsville, and was told when she was young to avoid stopping for gas in Martinsville, because it was apparently unsafe.
“It took just one time for me to be here to feel love from Martinsville,” Ferrer said about when she moved to Morgan County.
Ferrer went on to speak about how a few incidents of racism should not tarnish an entire community forever.
Following Ferrer’s opening speech, other Black Morgan County residents spoke about their experience living here.
Chandler Hyndman moved to Martinsville six months ago, and had also heard bad things about the city before moving here.
“I didn’t let it shake me,” Hyndman said.
Hyndman said that throughout his life, some people have not accepted him because of the color of his skin, and when he first moved to Martinsville, he worried that the community would not accept him.
Ultimately, though, Hyndman has found the city’s reputation to be greatly overstated, and spoke of the need for everyone to love themselves and each other.
“I had to look in the mirror and say, ‘I accept me,’” Hyndman said. “That’s what matters.”
Stephenie McCormick spoke after Hyndman, and she talked about her experience growing up in Morgan County.
McCormick said she was one of the first Black girls to attend Mooresville Schools, and that growing up there she experienced racist bullying. She said people at school used racial slurs against her, and residents even burned crosses in her front yard.
Despite these experiences, McCormick said, she believes Mooresville and Martinsville have both grown a lot in recent decades.
“I have kids now, and I don’t want them growing up and feeling that racism is OK,” McCormick said. “But I do see the change in Martinsville.”
Following these speakers, a number of local Democratic Party politicians made speeches about Juneteenth, and some promoted their political campaigns. Speakers included state and federal office candidates, such as Suzanne Fortenberry, Carrie Syczylo and Drew Cox.
Ferrer eventually spoke again about the importance of Juneteenth, and the holiday’s future here in Martinsville.
“This is not just Black history we’re celebrating here,” Ferrer said. “It is our American history.”
She said she plans on organizing another Juneteenth celebration next year, but with one slight change given the turnout.
“We’re gonna need a bigger venue,” Ferrer said.
