A LEAVE A MARK PRESS PUBLIC HISTORY PROJECT
Erasure of Black Voices
Recovering the Stories History Leaves Behind
History is not only shaped by what is remembered. It is also shaped by what is omitted, minimized, silenced, forgotten, or left disconnected in the historical record. Erasure of Black Voices explores how those gaps occur—and what individuals, families, researchers, and communities can do to recover and preserve the stories that remain.
When a Story Disappears, the Evidence May Still Remain
Erasure of Black Voices grew from Dr. Michelle D. Dartis's research into the life of her grandfather, Herbert Grigsby Hawkins, a Black Indianapolis businessman and community figure whose story had largely faded from family and public memory. What began as one family's search became a broader exploration of historical erasure, archival recovery, community memory, and the responsibility to carry overlooked stories forward.
Remember. Recover. Restore.
Stories can disappear when nobody carries them forward. Historical recovery begins when someone decides to look again.
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