The story of the South Bend, IN Natatorium: (updated)

Preserving The Past, Envisioning The Future

This was the title of a seminar presented as part of South Bend's celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. Citizens gathered at the Century Center to hear presentations by city officials, clergy and educators speak of the past and future of this building.

As noted in the seminar program:

"The Natatorium is a visible reminder of the history of the civil rights movement in South Bend. The church, particularly the black church, gave both the spiritual strength and the practical labor to initiate and sustain the civil rights movement. The role of the church is critical in maintaining a connection with the movement's past and its power and effectiveness now and in the future. The IUSB Civil Rights Heritage Center at the Natatorium will continue to be a visible reminder of the civil rights movement."

The main force behind the transformation of the facility(long in disuse) is The Civil Rights Heritage Center of Indiana University - South Bend. The CRHC sponsors community programs like the Diversity Reading Program, the Summer Leadership Academy, 21st Century Scholars Citizenship Enhancement Program, the Oral History Project and and retracing the locations and events of Freedom Summer.

Dr. Alfred Guillaume of IUSB started off the meeting by framing the discussion a bit. The point of restoring the building and creating historical exhibits, he said, was to make note of South Bend's racist past - but, more importantly - to provide a path to hope, understanding, healing and the elimination of fear. To preserve the past without repeating it.

Dr. Guillaume added that in his view, this was "IUSB's payment of rent to the community".




Next up, Dr Monica Tetzlaff of the CRHC explained the renovated Natatorium would serve to educate the community about the history of civil rights in the South Bend area.

She then went on to explain a bit of history of the facility itself.

The Natatorium was constructed in the early 20th century as a "public" indoor swimming facility. I put the word public in quotes, because it was only open to whites. Dr. Tezlaff made note of the irony that the building even bears the word "public" in it's inscription.

In 1938 the facility was opened to black citizens, sort of. Those citizens were "allowed" to use the Natatorium on Mondays only. The staff even went to the trouble of cleaning and draining the pool every Monday night. I'll let readers use their imaginations about why that was done. This was only accomplished due to a lawsuit brought by concerned citizens, black churches and the NAACP.

But then in 1950, the City needed to make repairs significant enough that a tax was imposed to pay the cost. Because of potential taxation without representation issues, the facility was actually integrated at that point.

She added that plans include involving the city's youth in many ways, and offering speakers for special events as well - as meetings and exhibits, once the complex is completed..

Reverends Timothy Rouse and Dennis Givens of the religious community spoke forcefully of the role - past and future - of black churches in the integration struggle. Rev. Rouse also serves as President of the South Bend Common Council.

Rev. Givens emphasized that he saw programs and exhibits at the new facility as tools to teach respect and self-respect to youth in the community, and to provide "seeds" to build character as well to educate.

Patrick Lynch of the South Bend Heritage Foundation also showed plans for the renovated facility via a powerpoint "flythrough" As you can see in the photos above, renovation of the facility is well underway.

Mr. Lynch explained that the actual pool area (in the rear portion) of the building was demolished in 2006 and a new section is under construction. Part of the old pool area be will inside and there will be visual cues about that history. The bulk of it though, will be outside in a "peace garden". The garden will have what Mr. Lynch termed a "feature wall" in the location of one of the swimming pool walls - complete with ceramic pool tile. The main entry will be in the back, and a meditation walkway will lead one from Washington St. (the former front facade) around the building to the peace garden and the building itself. Some original features in the building itself will be retained and renovated, including the lifeguard booth. A former dressing room will become a small group meeting room which will overlook the peace garden.

The moderator, Karen White of IUSB and the South Bend Common Council, noted that inscribed prisms in the feature wall will be available for $250 and benches in the peace garden for $1000 to interested donors. Any and all contributions would, of course, be welcome.

In the brief discussion after the meeting, a minister noted with dissatisfaction that while this project was going forward, there is no public swimming facility on the west side of the city. He went to characterize what he saw as other problems in that area. His tone indicated he was unsure how much progress had actually been achieved.

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After the meeting, I had a chance to talk with Dr. Guillaume. It turns out the IUSB Civil Rights Heritage Center is and was a student initiative. While supported by the University in some ways, the CRHC is a recognized student organization which means students run it and fund it.

Dr. Guillaume and I each have experience in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. I mentioned to him that for me, Dr. King's message and efforts were about justice. Period. I mentioned to him that it seemed ironic to me that many of the folks who have such energy for civil rights for people of color, seem to have little enthusiasm to support citizens in the GLBT community seeking basic legal protections.

He agreed, making note of the fact that ordinance to provide such protections failed in the Common Council.

We spoke to each other about the fact that Dr. King had widened his cause from racial civil rights, to economic civil rights and opposition to the war in Viet Nam.

"I wonder if Dr. King would have eventually gotten behind this issue," he mused.

Me too.

Don Wheeler


Update: (1/23) Comments from the cross post on Daily Kos


I spent a couple of years in South Bend (1+ / 0-)

I was in grad school at Notre Dame, but managed to have a life in the community as well (I waitressed at a local restaurant and went to a lot of functions in SB).

Thanks for the report, and thank God there are progressives everywhere keeping things moving left! (well, maybe not everywhere)

by casperr on Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 03:19:38 PM PST
[ I spent a couple of years in South Bend by casperr, Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 03:19:38 PM PST (1+ / 0-)
Coretta did: (3+ / 0-)
in 04:

Constitutional amendments should be used to expand freedom, not restrict it, Coretta
Scott King said Tuesday.

"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their
families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union," she
said. "A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay
bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."

by amberglow on Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 03:21:07 PM PST

I swam at "the Nat" . . . (2+ / 0-)

In the 50s, remember the dressing rooms vividly, the smell of chlorine, walking through the foot bath on the way out to the pool, which was, in my memory, beautiful.

I took side trips with both my daughters to South Bend in the late 90s. So much had changed, including the Natatorium, which was looked so forlorn. I'm sorry it's not serving as a community recreation center anymore and hope more modern facilities equally accessible to ordinary folks have taken its place. I'm glad to hear, though, that young people will remain a focus as the building is transformed into a center for preserving and advancing the story of civil rights in South Bend.
.
Don't ask me nothin' 'bout nothin'; I just might tell you the truth -- Bob Dylan

by ponderer on Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 04:07:59 PM PST