Tour, visit cspan. Org cities tour. Follow us on twitter at cspan cities. The cspan cities tour, exploring the american story. We are driving around downtown indianapolis. Role with the museum and what are we going to be looking at today . I am the curator of social history at the Indiana State Museum which means i spend a lot of time doing research and in particular africanAmerican History. Today we are going to visit some of the historical locations that help to tell the story of africanamericans in indianapolis. Why were africanamericans coming to indianapolis . Many africanamericans were coming here because we were a free state although we did have laws that did challenge the freedoms for africanamericans coming here. We know that as early as 1825, and previous to that, there were africanamerican settlements here. We know as that there were 55 early as africanamericans 1827 living here in the city and that population continued to grow. At times, a very slow growth, but it did continue to grow. We are entering what would have been the significant heart of the Africanamerican Community. As we crossed the site here, as you cross vermont street and you look to your right, you will see a lot of activity. You will see a large brick building in the background. That is an african methodist episcopal church. This building dates back to 1860 1869. However the congregation dates , back to 1836 when two men established what was then known as indianapolis station. This building dates back to 1869 and the congregation worshiped here until 2016. The congregation was more than just a place of worship. It was a place for social activity, a place to gather. It had a school so it was educating the Africanamerican Community that would have lived here. This is indian avenue. Indiana avenue was the heart of the Africanamerican Community. Even today, you see a lot of things going on. Imagine going back to the 1940s and 1950s. ,ou had jazz clubs, theater madame walker was formed in 1867. Was born in 1867. She passed away in 1919. She was a woman who was an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and she was someone dedicated to helping others. She became wellknown because of her beauty product and what she was able to build within that company. She definitely is someone who was very important to the community. She moved to indianapolis in 1910 because of the network. There was a strong africanamerican population. It was a good physical location and she moved here in 1910. She established a lab here. She had a Beauty School and provided an opportunity for a lot of women here and across the country. Before her death in may of 1919, madame walker had began purchasing land. Indianapolis to expand and grow. Her daughter would see the completion of the madame walker theater, which would have the coffee pot. It would have a theater, a ballroom, a casino. It was a true gem. It was a welcoming place for africanamericans. Indianapolis was not technically legally a segregated city. However, there were things that took place in the city that seem ed to have limitations for the people who were living there. The madame walker theater provided a place for everyone to go and visit. Where are we turning into . Street this drake is a place where individuals built homes. This is the homes district. A lot of these homes go back to the 1950s. The men would take 20 hours per week or more and do work on their homes constructing and building. This took place after world war ii. There were over 100 homes built. Again, very much within the Africanamerican Community. As we turn left here, you will homes, but to your right you will also see or begin , to see the high school. The high school was built and it september 12, 1927. Prior to that, you had students attending the other high schools in indianapolis. They had planned for 1000 students, and i think they ended up with a total enrollment of 1300. You had teachers who were phenomenal teachers, because they were not necessarily able to get a job somewhere else. So you have a school within your community. You have amazing teachers. It became a source of pride. It closed as a high school in 1986 and became a middle school. Now, it is a high school again. We hope to continue that tradition of sharing the history of the school. As we continue on indiana avenue, the heart of the Africanamerican Community, you see to your left the garden. The garden was built a public works project between 1935 and 1938. So much of the neighborhood, this was a place where africanamericans could come and find a home. It had 748 units. 24 buildings, you had families living here, several individuals from today who remember and talk about growing up here. Yes, there were financial limitations for individuals who could live there, but again, there was a school there. And you could have a home. What were some of the challenges for the People Living in indianapolis at that time . Adequate housing was a challenge. That is why you had Something Like the garden. The properties that were destroyed, demolished to build this apartment had been labeled as slums. So you were able to now have a home through that. What were the jobs that as individuals had . How were people surviving and making it through . In 1976, locks field closed and in 1983, all but seven of the original buildings were torn down. Now we are going to ransom place. We can go down cam street and turn right here. Mr. Ransom was the attorney for madame walker in the street is and this neighborhood is named after the ransom family. We have the original structures but also new construction. This neighborhood very early on, you had european and immigrant. After the 1920s, you had a strong africanamerican presence. We are right across from pocket park. This is in recognition of the ransom lace historic district. You had an individual, jean spears who moved here in 1987 and she worked hard to help with the preservation of this neighborhood and this community. This park is a great place to recognize that. You will see the images over there. You see madame walker and george knox. He had an africanamerican newspaper in the indianapolis area. You cant make it out, but booker t. Washington is also in the image. He was here because they were ymca in 1913. Madame walker had donated money to establish it continuing her philanthropy. What is it that you hope people learn about the history and the city . Kisha there is a rich history. Its a story about empowerment. There were reasons why individuals stayed in that community. The community continued to thrive. There was success and growth and progress. Our cities tour staff recently traveled to indianapolis to learn about the rich history. To watch more video from indianapolis and other stops on our tour, visit cspan. Org cities tour. You are watching American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. On december 16, hitlers had a surprise attack in luxembourg. It was known as the battle. He committed more than 1000 tanks and 200,000 troops to this last nazi effort, hoping to recapture the port city of on torque. On antwerp. Anniversary h the 75th anniversary of the battle of the borge
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