Eunice Trotter
This March, Herd Strategies has celebrated Women’s History Month by highlighting women who share stories, uplifting and amplifying the experiences of themselves and others. Our final feature of the month is Eunice Trotter, an awarded author, journalist, genealogist and storyteller of Indiana history.
Eunice Trotter is from a pioneer Black family; she is the daughter of a Garveyite whose family was from Vincennes, Indiana dating back to the 1790s. She holds undergraduate degrees in journalism from Indiana University Southeast and Martin University and a master's degree in business administration from Webster International University.
From a young age, Eunice recognized the disparity of Black representation in Indiana. “Indiana's history includes that of African Americans,” she emphasized. “I've always understood the importance of sharing the stories of African American Hoosiers. These stories, historically left out of documented Hoosier history, are a part of the full story of Indiana and national history.”
In high school, Eunice began working at The Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest African American newspapers in the country. Eventually purchasing a controlling interest in the paper in 1987, she worked to diversify Indiana’s journalism. “Women bring a female perspective to storytelling that perhaps a male can't bring. This is the same for the Black perspective,” she noted. “Black people bring a perspective that white people perhaps can not bring.”
After holding editing and reporting positions at several other newspapers, including The New York Post, Florida Today, the Palm Beach Post, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel and the Lafayette Journal and Courier, Eunice was able to amplify Black voices as the first Black editor of The Indianapolis Star. “The title gave me credibility as a manager of others, providing me the opportunity to direct their reporting,” she said. “This allowed me to ensure that the Black perspective was more frequently included in storytelling at the newspaper.”
Her impact on journalism in the state has not gone unnoticed. She has won numerous reporting and writing awards and was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2017. “This was a wonderful honor that showed me that my work has not gone unnoticed,” Eunice said.
Besides her journalistic achievements, Eunice has also been recognized for her academic writing. She has written several historical articles and received the Indiana Historical Society’s Dorothy Riker Historian Award. In Eunice’s opinion, the motivation behind the two types of writing is the same. She noted, “Storytelling is storytelling. In journalistic or academic writing, truth is a key element. Stories must be true.”
She recently published her first book, “Black in Indiana,” which received a first-place award from the Indiana Press Women’s Club. The book also won first place in the National Federation of Press Women’s competition. “I thought it was important to share the Black history in Indiana that none of us learned in school,” Eunice shared. “This book also captures my own family history and hopefully reflects what other African Americans can do in documenting their own family histories.”
Currently, Eunice enables other Black Hoosiers to explore their genealogy as the first director of the Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program. “In my position, I am building the capacity throughout the state for telling the stories of Black heritage in Indiana,” she said. “I am also able to support efforts statewide by providing funding to Black heritage projects and by having Black heritage sites placed on the National Register for Historic Places.” By stopping the erasure of Black heritage statewide, Eunice’s work will have a lasting impact on the inclusion of Black representation in history.
To keep up with Eunice, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Purchase her book, “Black in Indiana,” here. Learn more about Indiana Landmarks by following them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or visiting their website.
