United States Representative Julia Carson (July 8, 1938 – December 15, 2007) lived in this house for more than thirty years, from before she rose to political prominence until her death at age sixty-nine. A Democrat known for her progressive ideals, extended political service, and down-to-earth demeanor, Carson was the first women and the first African American to represent Indianapolis.
Flanner House traces its history to 1898 when white mortician and philanthropist, Frank Flanner, donated buildings for the construction of a "Negro community center." Since its inception, Flanner House has committed itself to social services, employment training, and recreational and health programs. Flanner House has expanded and relocated numerous times over the course of its history, but the core of its mission has not changed: community service through education and self-help.
Indiana State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, also known as the Minor House, is a historic National Association of Colored Women's Clubs clubhouse. The Club was founded by Lillian Thomas Fox (1866-1917), a leading member of the Indianapolis African American community and the first Black woman to work for a white Indiana newspaper. Fox and Beulah Wright Porter, the first Black woman physician to institute a practice in Indianapolis, founded the Indianapolis Colored Women’s Improvement Club in 1903 and the Indiana State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs in 1904. Fox used her role as a prominent, middle-class African American woman to enact social reforms in the Progressive Era.
Established in 1897, Ransom Place is the oldest African-American neighborhood in Indianapolis. Some writings suggest that the area was a largely African-American settlement as far back as the 1830s. Development in the mid-twentieth century led to the destruction of many such neighborhoods; Ransom Place is the most intact 19th century African-American neighborhood.
Crispus Attucks High School became the first segregated high school in Indiana when it opened in Indianapolis in 1927. Given the lack of employment options for African American educators, school administrators were able to maintain very high standards. In an era when many teachers had less than a bachelors degree, every teacher at Crispus Attucks High School had at either a M.A. or Ph.D.
Lockefield Garden Apartments was the first public housing development in Indianapolis, and one of the first in the U.S. The apartments were built between 1935 and 1938 under the auspices of the New Deal's Public Works Administration. The project had the dual objective of providing low-cost housing in what had previously been viewed as a slum neighborhood, as well as providing hundreds of construction jobs.
From 1946 until 1963, Ruth McArthur operated the McArthur Conservatory at this location. The school occupied a three-story brick building with twenty rooms across from the Lockefield Gardens Housing Complex on Indiana Avenue. The school provided classes to both children and adults and was the first school in Indiana to offer a formal jazz program. In 1963, the school closed and the property was purchased by Indiana University.
Named after the first female millionaire Madam C.J. Walker, the building was an important center of activity for the African American community for decades until the neighborhood began to decline in the 1950s. Mrs. Walker, originally named Sarah Breedlove; made a name for herself as a millionaire from selling hair-growth products and for her avid support for civil rights. She made her mark on the movement towards equality in the early years of the 1900s when she began a lawsuit to protest discrimination in a theater. In addition to the lawsuit she also urged the decry of lynchings in the south as well as join a delegation that went to Washington to protest the War Department's segregationist policies to President Woodrow Wilson.
For much of the city's history, Indiana Avenue has been regarded as the heart of Indianapolis's African American community. The avenue was the location of some of the city's first African American businesses and was the home of numerous jazz clubs in the first half of the twentieth century.
Bethel A.M.E. Church was founded in Indianapolis in 1836. The congregation held services in a variety of homes and rented spaces prior to 1857, when the congregation built their own structure. The congregation sponsored a school, promoted the abolition of slavery, and even assisted efforts to support runaway slaves. During the Civil War, the congregation also supported efforts to recruit African American soldiers for the Union. Many men of the congregation served in the 28th Regiment of Colored Troops (28th Regiment USCT of Indiana). Unfortunately, during the same year of the 28th's formation (1864), the church was destroyed by arson. In 1867, the church purchased this lot and built the current church which was completed in 1869 and expanded in later years. This structure is the oldest African American church in the city and region. Throughout the 20th century, the church was active in numerous campaigns to promote equality and civil rights.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short walking/driving tour includes buildings, markers, and other sites related to African American history along Indiana Avenue and Doctor M.L.K. Jr. Street. The city of Indianapolis has many other historical sites related to African American history - try an advanced search in Clio with the tag "African American History" selected as a filter to discover more.
