Black man to receive statue after decades of public service

“I’m proud,” said Hurley Goodall, a 91-year-old prominent local African American figure who will have a statue dedicated to him by summer 2020 in Muncie, Indiana, reports the Ball State Daily. Goodall was the first Black firefighter to serve on the Delaware County Fire Department (1958-1978), the first Black elected member to serve on the Muncie Community Schools Board of Education (1970-1978) and the first Black legislator from Delaware County, serving on the Indiana General Assembly (1978-1992). The Delaware County Historical Society will partner with Community Enhancement Projects (CEP) to build a bronze statue next summer, said Historical Society President Chris Flook. Flook said the Historical Society decided to put up a statue of Goodall for a couple of reasons: It wanted to promote local history — Flook said art is the best way to do that — and it wanted to emphasize African American history, something Flook said Muncie lacks. The Historical Society chose Goodall specifically because of his deep roots in the community. “He was just a badass,” Flook said. Flook estimated the statue will cost between $70-80,000. The cost includes securing a landscape, paying the artist and paying for the foundry — the act of pouring bronze into a mold, which is not usually done by the same artist. The money will come from donations, local foundations and anticipated state funding. Flook said because Goodall was a member of the Indiana General Assembly and knew people from all over Indiana, he expects the state will donate money toward the statue’s construction. So far, the project has raised a little less than $1,000, Flook said, but donations can be made to the Delaware County Historical Society’s website. Julius Anderson, a city council member as well as Goodall’s neighbor and nephew-in-law, said Goodall has been his mentor since the early ’80s. “Individuals such as myself have followed [Goodall] through his days from the school board to the statehouse and all the change he’s done to Ball State … through his position in the House of Representatives,” Anderson said. “I’m very excited about [his statue].”