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Timely look at the complex racial history of Indianapolis, from Madame C. J. Walker's empire to the rise of the KKK.
List of contents
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. Post-Civil War Achievement
8. Power of the Fourth Estate
9. Dawn of the Struggle
10. The Twentieth Century-Going "Up South"
11. Francis "Frank" Flanner
12. White Policemen Murdered! Where's Jesse Coe?
13. The
Indianapolis Recorder-Catalyst for Change-The 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
About the author
David Leander Williams is author of
Indianapolis African-American History;
Indianapolis Jazz: The Masters, Legends and Legacy of Indiana Avenue; and
Indianapolis Rhythm and Blues. He has also written articles dealing with Indianapolis African American history for
African Americans in Indianapolis and
Traces 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.
Summary
African Americans in Indianapolis serves as a reminder of the advancements that our midwestern ancestors made toward freedom and equality, as well as the continual struggle against inequalities that must be overcome.
