Porter honors John Tucker, victim of 1845 Indianapolis lynching

This morning, State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) joined representatives from the Indiana Historical Bureau and the Indiana Remembrance Coalition at the northwest corner of Washington and Illinois Streets to dedicate an historic marker at the site where John Tucker, a Black man, was lynched by a group of white men in 1845.

“We can never forget America’s tragic history of anti-Black violence and racism,” Porter said in a statement following the event. “Despite common perceptions, these tragedies were not just contained to the American southern states. Indiana had over a dozen reported lynchings throughout our state’s history – including the murder of John Tucker right here in downtown Indianapolis. Today, sadly, efforts are being made to censor and erase these dark chapters from our history books. Pretending that lynchings and other racially motivated acts of violence did not happen in our state and our city does not undo the pain that African Americans have felt for generations. We can no longer tolerate African Americans being forced to keep silent about our history to keep others comfortable. To create a better future, we must learn from our past and acknowledge the traumas we have endured, as well as the hurdles many have had to jump through to achieve a semblance of their own American Dream.

“While this ceremony to remember Mr. Tucker will not undo the gross injustice that was done to him over a century ago – nor will it erase the horrific history of lynchings and race-based violence in our country – this is a way for us to say that Mr. Tucker lived here, he was murdered here, and his life mattered. I’d like to thank the Indiana Historical Bureau and the Indiana Remembrance Coalition for their work to honor the memory of Mr. Tucker and giving all of us an opportunity to reflect on the history of the place we live – for better or worse – and giving us hope for a better, more peaceful future.”