How Indiana Avenue’s past reveals path for its future

Indiana Avenue in its heyday was the stuff of Indianapolis legend.

Black-owned businesses lined the street, and neighbors enjoyed a tight-knit community close to the shops they frequented. Jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington performed there. It was Indianapolis’ version of Black Wall Street.

But that thriving center of Black culture and commerce eroded in the 1970s and 1980s, reducing the Avenue to a shell of what it once was. With the development of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and interstates 65 and 70 in particular, residents were displaced, homes sold and buildings bulldozed.

Today, Indiana Avenue has more empty storefronts and parking lots than thriving businesses. But the city of Indianapolis’ plans to redevelop it come with an opportunity to right historical wrongs and honor the history of the neighborhoods, while creating something new. 

On Thursday, Feb. 1, A’Lelia Bundles, a journalist and great-great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, moderated a panel about Indiana Avenue at Indiana Landmarks. The event was a journey to the past with a glimpse into the future. 

Here are five takeaways from the conversation:

1. By the numbers, the scale of what was lost on and near Indiana Avenue is striking.

More than 17,000 people were displaced by construction of the interstates, according to numbers provided by City-County archivist Jordan Ryan. More than 8,000 homes, businesses and buildings — including 29 churches — were razed. In downtown Indianapolis, 320 acres were condemned to make room for I-65 and I-70. These are based on newspaper coverage from the time, but Ryan told Mirror Indy they believe these estimates to be conservative.

2. Having a center for Black commerce was essential for Indianapolis and its overall vitality, because most shops in the city were owned and operated by white people.

Ken Morgan, who grew up on Indiana Avenue, recalled going for hamburgers at Scotty’s and shopping for fashionable clothes. “It was such a wonderful experience to walk down Indiana Avenue and see the variety of Black-owned businesses,” said Morgan, former executive director of the Madam Walker Urban Life Center, today known as the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

3. The Madam C.J. Walker Building was the beating heart of Indiana Avenue, and its preservation is essential to the neighborhood’s history and future. 

Several panelists shared memories of the Walker Building. Morgan said his sisters were educated at its beauty school, and he went to the movies there. Jim Morris, former Lilly Endowment president, attended fundraisers for the Indiana Republican Party at the theater.

4. Panelists believe economic development will be key to making Indiana Avenue the next Mass Ave or Fountain Square.

Whatever’s next for Indiana Avenue will need to both honor the past and invest in the potential of the community through programs like business incubators, said Bundles, the moderator. “It’s not just jazz clubs,” she said. “It really should be about economic development.”

5. This panel is part of an ongoing conversation about Indiana Avenue’s history.  

Bundles repeatedly said she believes this should be the first of many events exploring Indiana Avenue’s hidden history, adding she hoped this event would plant the seeds for an oral history project. “We are only going to begin to scratch the surface,” she said. The panel ended with action items for attendees, including reading local news (such as Mirror Indy), attending city meetings or signing up to become an Indy Documenter.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire Rafford at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or on Twitter/Instagram @clairerafford.

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