Given the recent and ongoing debates about race and inclusion, history classes can turn to the study of local groups that have been marginalized in an effort to increase students' cultural awareness. One such local history project took place in Evansville, Indiana from 2011 to 2013 through collaboration between the University of Southern Indiana and the Evansville African American Museum (EAAM). The research project took place over three semesters in sections of an entry-level African American history survey that had two overarching goals; first, to develop within the students a fundamental understanding of the expanse of African American history, and second, to provide them with an opportunity to put what they learned to use by undertaking original research to create a product that would be used by the EAAM. By engaging the students' interest with hands-on learning that had a final project that would be exhibited to and used by the community, this project drove home several important lessons. First, it demonstrated that primary source research can be successful in entry-level courses when proper guidance is given and parameters are set for the students. Second, it shows the importance of using local history to teach about broader topics in American history surveys. Students were more excited by this project because of their proximity to and knowledge about the places that we were working with on the map.