美国国家公共电台 NPR--A small Wisconsin town is honored as the state's first Black-founded community

A small Wisconsin town is honored as the state's first Black-founded community

Transcript¹

LAKE IVANHOE ,Wis. -- Peter Baker² says he will never forget his first visit to Lake Ivanhoe. It was 1966. He was 9 years old and his friend brought him up from Chicago on a fishing trip. They caught dozens of fish, mostly bluegills and crappies.

"We went home and I ran in the house with all these fish and I showed my mother, 'We were up there at Lake Ivanhoe, and it was all Black!' " said Baker, now 66. "And the first thing she said is, to my father, 'Ernest, we're going up there next week.' "

The tiny subdivision of Lake Ivanhoe is nestled beside a quiet lake, just six miles east of Lake Geneva. The Bakers³ bought a house on Tuskegee Drive and moved the family up from Chicago. Peter spent his days fishing, swimming and running through the woods. During the era of sundown towns, where African Americans were not welcome after dark, Baker said Lake Ivanhoe was a refuge.

"We literally⁴ could sit in the middle of the roads at night time and watch the stars and talk and play," Baker said. "The freedom was unbelievable."

Musicians play on a truck bed at Lake Ivanhoe.

Courtesy of Peter Baker and the Lake Ivanhoe Property Owners Association

It wasn't until decades later that Baker learned that feeling was the whole idea when the community was dreamed up a century ago as the first Black-founded community in Wisconsin. Now, a small group of local residents is working to ensure this history is recognized after nearly being lost.

Recent years have brought a national reckoning over whose history is preserved in our statues and monuments. Of Wisconsin's 600 historical markers, just seven commemorate⁵ the history of the state's Black residents. And none recognize the history of Hmong, Hispanic or LGBTQ communities.

Like several states, Wisconsin is trying to confront this legacy⁶ of racism⁷ by adding nearly 40 historical markers to recognize the history of marginalized communities.

Lake Ivanhoe will be among the first.

The dream of Lake Ivanhoe

Lake Ivanhoe was the vision of three prominent Black men from Chicago — Jeremiah Brumfield, Frank Anglin and Bradford Watson.

The trio recognized growing racial tension as a result of the Great Migration⁸ that brought millions of African Americans north. As communities merged⁹, Black families faced restrictive covenants¹⁰ and redlining that barred African Americans from certain neighborhoods, and even violence from white people intent on keeping them out.

In 1919, riots broke out in Chicago when a Black boy was killed by white attackers on a beach and the police wouldn't make an arrest.

Amid this racial unrest, Brumfield, Anglin and Watson wanted a safe place to take their families on vacation. White Realtors had popularized Idlewild, Michigan as a resort for Black families, but it was too far a drive from Chicago. So they decided¹¹ to build their own.

They drew up plans and sought financial backing from both white and Black investors¹². In 1926, they purchased an 83-acre farm on Ryan Lake in Walworth County. A white real estate agent named Ivan Bell agreed to broker¹³ the deal, and the lake was later renamed in his honor.

They carved out lots, named the streets after famous Black figures — Dunbar Boulevard, Phyllis Wheatley Drive, Douglass Avenue — and placed ads in Chicago newspapers.

On a hill overlooking the lake, they built a large pavilion where jazz great Cab Calloway performed on their opening night in 1927.

The resort was an immediate¹⁴ hit, drawing families from across the region to purchase lots and enjoy the outdoors. There were fishing contests, concerts, prize fights and beauty pageants¹⁵.

But sales plummeted¹⁶ when the stock market crashed in 1929. The pavilion was dismantled¹⁷ and the unsold lots went into foreclosure.

In 1934, Edward Sternaman, a white football player for the Chicago Bears, purchased the unsold property at Lake Ivanhoe. Intending to turn the area into a white resort, he put up fences blocking residents from accessing the park and beach.

Founder¹⁸ Brumfield, an attorney, helped file a civil lawsuit¹⁹. And in 1934, a Walworth County judge sided with the community, saying the beach and parks of Lake Ivanhoe were to be held collectively and kept open to everyone. Sternaman's fences came down and he left the area for good.

Following World War II, families like the Bakers rediscovered Lake Ivanhoe and slowly made it a year-round community.

Preserving Black towns as historical places

Andrew Kahrl teaches history and African American studies at the University of Virginia. Recently he has been working with the National Parks Service documenting sites of African American outdoor recreation. He said Lake Ivanhoe is one of many towns across the country that provided a safe haven²⁰ for African Americans.

"They were not just a byproduct of exclusion²¹, but were also an assertion of freedom by African Americans seeking not just to find places of recreation for themselves, but places where they could form community," Kahrl said.

Over the years, the demographics of Lake Ivanhoe have shifted and now it has mostly white and Hispanic residents. African Americans are only 9 percent of the population.

And the story is similar for many historically Black towns across the country. But as they disappear, so do their histories.

Atiya Martin, co-founder of a diversity, equity²² and inclusion consulting firm and former Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston, has said Black settlements existed in present-day sites like the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery²³ and even Plymouth, Massachusetts.

"Elementary school kids go there in period costumes and people are kind of reliving what life was like during those times. But no one ever talks about the fact that there was a Black town there as well," Martin said.

That's why Peter Baker has been working with the state to get a historical marker placed there. The process requires an extensive application with supporting historical documentation that can often take years to compile.

Recently, he has been getting help from Katie Green, whose family has owned a home 6 miles away in Lake Geneva since the 1970s. But Green had never heard of Lake Ivanhoe until a few years ago, when a friend's grandmother mentioned it.

"I had asked all my friends that I grew up with in Lake Geneva. I asked all my current neighbors, 'Have you heard of Ivanhoe?' 'Nope. Nope.' Nobody that I knew," Green said. "So I started to dig into it."

That's how she met Baker. Now they often spend their Saturdays combing through old documents and newspapers, trying to find past residents. They've started Facebook and Instagram accounts to help spread the word.

One of the people they found was Janet Alexander Davis. She and her family came to Lake Ivanhoe in the 1950s on fishing trips.

"We would sometimes rent a cabin," Alexander Davis said. "I remember one time I caught what they call a dogfish. That was the ugliest fish I've ever seen — ugly and big! But I was so proud of that fish,"

Alexander Davis hasn't been back to Lake Ivanhoe since childhood, but she's excited about the marker.

"It's proof that we were treated differently in this society and continue to be — that we had to find our own way and have our own things because we couldn't just go where we wanted to go, to shop, to live," she said. "So what I felt there was free."

Looking toward the future

Towns like this are a reminder²⁴ of racism's reach outside of the South. Wisconsin is among the most inequitable places for African Americans. Recognizing Black towns as historical places is one way to confront this legacy.

As the former town manager of Tullahassee, Oklahoma's oldest surviving all-Black town, Cymone Davis is invested in preserving places like Lake Ivanhoe.

She has been working with Atiya Martin to map Black towns and settlements across the country. But she said preserving them as historic places can overlook their potential as vibrant²⁵, contemporary places.

Through her group Black Towns Municipal Management she works to strengthen and invest in towns like Lake Ivanhoe, with an eye toward the future.

Janet Alexander Davis and her cousin Michael on Lake Ivanhoe. She said her and her family went to Lake Ivanhoe in the 1950s on fishing trips.

Courtesy of Janet Alexander Davis

"How do you reconcile the past? And then how do you include for the future? What does that even look like if it is a possibility to continue to rebuild a predominantly black community?" said Davis.

For Peter Baker, the marker is a good start. He's planning a dedication²⁶ ceremony. He wants to invite past residents, have a pig roast and big band music, like the old days.

He said recognizing this community now is the best way to ensure future generations find refuge, too.

"I plan on being here for a long time, hopefully for the rest of my life. And I just hope it's always a place that African Americans can feel safe in," Baker said. "I literally am at peace here. There's nowhere else I'd like to be."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

3 bakers   

n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三

参考例句：

• The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

6 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

7 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

8 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

9 merged   

（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
• The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

10 covenants   

n.（有法律约束的）协议( covenant的名词复数 )；盟约；公约；（向慈善事业、信托基金会等定期捐款的）契约书

参考例句：

• Do I need to review the Deed of mutual Covenants (DMC)? 我是否需要覆核公共契约(DMC)吗？ 来自互联网
• Many listed and unlisted companies need to sell to address covenants. 许多上市公司和非上市公司需要出售手中资产，以满足借贷契约的要求。 来自互联网

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

13 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

14 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

15 pageants   

n.盛装的游行( pageant的名词复数 )；穿古代服装的游行；再现历史场景的娱乐活动；盛会

参考例句：

• It is young people who favor holding Beauty pageants. 赞成举办选美的是年轻人。 来自互联网
• Others say that there's a fine line between the pageants and sexual exploitation. 其他人说，选美和性剥削之间只有非常细微的界线。 来自互联网

16 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

20 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

21 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

22 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

23 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

24 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

25 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

26 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。