Who’s Got Next? Evansville Mourns Three Giants of Faith, Service, and Community

By Melissa Duneghy

Evansville is mourning the loss of three giants—Mrs. Janice Louise Nelson Fields-Hale, Mr. Leonard Collins, and Rev. James Lesley Hamler, Jr. Their lives were testaments to service, faith, and community power. Their passing leaves us with a question that echoes louder than ever:

Who’s got next?

Janice Hale: A Legacy of Faith and Mentorship

Janice Hale was a woman of deep spiritual conviction and community commitment. Whether mentoring youth through the Southern Indiana Mentoring Academy, guiding tours at the Evansville African American Museum, or transporting children to church, she lived her values with joy and purpose.

Her legacy is stitched into the cultural and spiritual fabric of Evansville.

Leonard Collins: The Civic Pulse of Goosetown

Leonard Collins was a neighborhood institution. As President of the Goosetown Neighborhood Association, he registered voters, mentored leaders, and held public officials accountable.

His leadership was rooted in love, truth, and a belief that every voice mattered.

Rev. James Hamler: A Voice That Lifted the City

Rev. James Hamler, Jr. was a musical force and spiritual shepherd whose voice and vision shaped worship across Evansville and beyond.

A native of Mississippi, he began singing and composing gospel music as a child and went on to become a prolific songwriter, choir director, and Minister of Music at Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church. His compositions—including “Jesus I Love You” and “Let All the People Praise His Name”—were performed by choirs nationwide and even with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

But Rev. Hamler’s ministry extended far beyond music. He fed the hungry through Potter’s Wheel, mentored youth through LOCK and Joshua Academy, and organized Gospel Nights to uplift and unite. In 2024, he celebrated 25 years of service at Nazarene with a packed community concert.

His favorite words—“To God Be the Glory for the Things That He Has Done”—now echo as a lasting benediction over a life well lived.

The American Flag: A Symbol in Conflict

Before we ask who’s got next, we must first ask: what are we carrying forward, and why does it matter?

Leadership isn’t just about stepping up; it’s about making a difference. Few symbols carry more complexity, contradiction, and responsibility than the American flag—a banner that has inspired both unity and protest, pride and pain.

For some, it still represents sacrifice, justice, and the promise of liberty. For others, especially in communities long denied equity, it symbolizes exclusion and broken promises.

Janice, Leonard, and James understood this tension. They didn’t shy away from it—they leaned into it. They carried the flag not just physically, but spiritually. They embodied what it should mean: service, dignity, and the belief that America can be better when we all participate.

The History of the Flag Bearer

The role of the flag bearer is one of the oldest and most symbolic in American tradition. On battlefields, they marched ahead unarmed, carrying the nation’s banner—often at great personal risk. The flag was more than cloth; it was morale, identity, and purpose.

During the civil rights movement, flag bearers didn’t always hold stars and stripes—they carried signs, megaphones, and truth. They led marches, sat at lunch counters, and stood on courthouse steps.

In Evansville, our flag bearers had names:

Janice Hale carried the banner of faith and education.
Leonard Collins carried the banner of civic engagement and neighborhood pride.
James Hamler carried the banner of worship, music, and community healing.

They didn’t wait for permission to lead. They saw a need—and stepped in.

Soldiers Behind the Flag Bearer

But a flag bearer cannot march alone.

Behind every flag bearer are soldiers who follow, support, and protect the mission. In military tradition, soldiers understood that if the flag fell, it must be lifted. If the bearer was lost, someone had to step forward.

In our communities, the soldiers are the volunteers, the organizers, the voters, the mentors, the youth, and the elders. Janice, Leonard, and James were flag bearers—but they also raised up soldiers. Now, those soldiers must become leaders.

Who’s Got Next?

The question isn’t rhetorical—it’s urgent.

Will the next flag carrier rise from a museum tour inspired by Janice?
Will a young activist in Goosetown pick up Leonard’s clipboard and register voters?
Will a child who sang in one of James’s choirs now lead a congregation or a cause?

Leadership isn’t inherited—it’s ignited. And now, it’s our turn.

Let us honor Janice Hale, Leonard Collins, and James Hamler not just with words, but with work. Let us show up, speak up, and lift up. Because the best way to say “thank you” is to continue their mission.

So again, Evansville—who’s got next? Who will carry the flag forward, and who will march behind them?