Editor’s Note: About Those Difficult Conversations

When we wrapped up our June/July in early May and sent it off to the printer, I had no idea one of our stories would be so timely, sensitive, and, ultimately, necessary: a feature on the 1,164 names of men who belonged to the KKK in Hamilton County in the 1920s. It’s “a painful chapter of Indiana history that remains partially untold and fully unsolved,” wrote Casey Kenley, the story’s author.

Again, I had no idea—but I should have because it speaks to something we’ve all been thinking about lately: privilege. In this case, to me, the history of the KKK in the small town of Noblesville and Hamilton County was … a history story about the stain of supremacy. But, with clearer eyes, I see it’s so much more than that, especially if you are black or brown or marginalized or an immigrant; it’s something you live every day.

How does a community come to terms with a shameful past? As the protesters in the streets across this country have shown, that’s no longer an abstract question. It’s the story of the future of America. In the last few days, I’ve heard a lot about the difficult conversations that lie ahead. This is one of them.