Indianapolis has long been steeped in important moments in African American history, from businesswoman Madame C. J. Walker's success to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan to the founding of Crispus Attucks High School, which remained segregated through the 1960s.
InAfrican Americans in Indianapolis, author and historian David Leander Williams explores this history by examining the daunting and horrendous historical events African Americans living in Indianapolis encountered between 1820 and 1970, as well as the community's determination to overcome these challenges. Revealing many events that have yet to be recorded in history books, textbooks, or literature, Williams chronicles the lives and careers of many influential individuals and the organizations that worked tirelessly to open doors of opportunity to the entire African American community.
African Americans in Indianapolis serves as a reminder of the advancements that Black midwestern ancestors made toward freedom and equality, as well as the continual struggle against inequalities that must be overcome.
David Leander Williams is author ofIndianapolis African-American History; Indianapolis Jazz: The Masters, Legends and Legacy of Indiana Avenue; andIndianapolis Rhythm and Blues. He has also written articles dealing with Indianapolis African American history forAfrican Americans in Indianapolis andTraces Magazine / The Indiana Historical Society. In his free time Williams collects memorabilia, historical artifacts, and information about African American history, particularly slavery and African American music history. Williams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado State University and Master of Arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is currently based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Indiana Becomes a State
2. Early Indianapolis
3. The Shame of Indianapolis
4. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
5. "Negroes, Yaw Go Back to Africa!"
6. The Civil War and Beyond
7. PostCivil War Achievement
8. Power of the Fourth Estate
9. Dawn of the Struggle
10. The Twentieth CenturyGoing "Up South"
11. Francis "Frank" Flanner
12. White Policemen Murdered! Where's Jesse Coe?
13. TheIndianapolis RecorderCatalyst for ChangeThe Monster Meetings/Senate Avenue Y. M. C. A.
14. Madame C. J. Walker and Early African-American Female Trailblazers
15. The Roarin' Twenties!
16. David Curtis Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan
17. Crispus Attucks High School
18. A Decade of Turmoil/Lockefield Gardens
19. Heroes and Sheroes of World War II
20. The 1950s
21. Entertainment Industry Flexes Its Muscle
22. The Black Community Battles Negative Stereotypes and Introduces Jazz and Poetry
23. Indiana Avenue Jazz Connection/MacArthur Conservatory of Music/The Exodus
24. Historic "Firsts" of the 1950s and Its Movers and Shakers
25. Urban Renewal or Negro Removal?
26. Woman of Valor
Bibliography
Index
