City of Indianapolis Office of Sustainability c/o Pivot Marketing

Meet Madam Walker 🤝

The legacy of Madam C.J. Walker in Indianapolis
The new Madame Walker mural
Have you posed in front of this wall yet? | Photo by INDYtoday team
Madam C.J. Walker has been making headlines left + right, with her face centered in the newly painted mural downtown + a Barbie created in her honor.

Want to get to know the Hoosier legend a little more? Here are a few facts about the self-made millionaire.
  • Her real name was Sarah Breedlove + she was born in Louisiana, moving to Indianapolis in the early 1900s to start up her business selling “Madam CJ Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.” Fun fact: This year — 100 years later — Madam Walker’s family launched a new hair-care line for the Madam C.J. Walker Company.
  • Madam Walker moved to Indy in 1910 because it was the largest inland manufacturing center in the nation at that time. Her factory also included a hair and manicure salon, along with another training school. The Madam Walker Legacy Center was built after her death + became the company’s new manufacturing site.
  • A civic-minded individual, she was a member of the Bethel AME Church (which is now a hotel hybrid) + a local chapter of the Black Knights of Pythias. She was recorded to have hosted meetings for the Colored Branch of the Indiana Equal Suffrage Association in her home after the 19th Amendment was ratified.
  • Madam Walker bought a house at at 640 N. West St. (which is now Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street) + renovated an old stable and warehouse to become a factory and office space at the rear of the property.
  • She made national headlines when she donated $1,000 to help fund the Senate Avenue YMCA.
  • She’s the grandmother of Hoosier A’Lelia Bundles — who helped to create Netflix series “Self Made,” starring Octavia Spencer + Tiffany Haddish. ICYMI: A’Lelia was named the first Center for Africana Studies and Culture Prestigious Fellow in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI this year.
Interested in diving deeper into the life of another Hoosier hero? Let us know who you’re curious about.
Hampton Farms

Click here to have your event featured.

Today
  • Acoustic Alchemy | Fri., Oct. 21 | 7 p.m. | The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N College Ave, Indianapolis | $20.00 - $60.00 | Catch the triple-Grammy nominated musicians at Indy’s SoBro staple.
  • Twilight Tales | Fri., Oct. 21, Wed., Oct. 26, Fri., Oct. 28 | 7-8 p.m. | Indiana State Museum, 650 W Washington St, Indianapolis | $20.00 | Venture through the museum on this flashlight-led tour to visit some of the creepiest artifacts in the museum’s collection.
Saturday
  • Rover’s Howl-O-Ween | Sat., Oct. 22 | 12-4 p.m. | Central Library - Greenfield, 900 W McKenzie Road, Greenfield | Free | The park is hosting a dog contest + local vendors this weekend.
  • Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons | Sat., Oct. 22 | 7 p.m. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse | $15.00 - $276.00 | The Pistons take on the Pacers in the team’s third straight home game of the regular season.
Sunday
  • Mission 22 Run For Hope 5k & 1 Mile | Sun., Oct. 23 | 9 a.m. | Indianapolis Public Library Lawrence Branch, 7898 Hague Road, Indianapolis | $30.00 | There’s a timed 5K + an untimed one mile option for this run supporting veterans and their families.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
SAFY of Indianapolis

Weather
  • 72Âş | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain
Development
  • A go-to spot for residents’ hardware needs for more than a century could become a space for the arts. Nickel Plate Arts is eyeing the six-story building on Noblesville’s courthouse square (848 Logan St.) for potential artist studio spaces, workshops, classrooms, and event space. 🎨 (IBJ)
Coming Soon
  • Good news, plant parents. Snakeroot Botanicals announced on social media yesterday that it’s planning to open a new location in the heart of Broad Ripple at 922 E. Westfield Blvd. It plans to be open for the holiday shopping season, so keep an eye on social media for updates. 🪴
Community
  • Belmont Beach is making waves. In just two years, the park project has been recognized by Neighborhoods USA with a national award for beautification. You can support the park’s future programming, operations, and beautification during a fundraising event hosted by newly formed Friends of Belmont Beach on Sat., Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m. 🌊 (WRTV)
Health
  • Reid Health broke ground on a new hospital in Connersville, bringing services the community hasn’t had in 30 years. The state health department identified a shortage of health care services in Fayette County + the new facility will include a helipad linked to an emergency department. It’s planned to open in 2024. 🏥 (WRTV)
Cause
  • A new program is helping link new parents to the baby supplies they need. The Welcome Baby support program opened to Washington Township residents Wednesday. Families enrolled receive six months + $3,000 worth of new baby supplies including diapers, clothing, bottles, and formula. Learn more. 🍼 (WRTV)
Featured
  • A St. Joseph late-night bar and restaurant is getting national recognition. English Ivy was named one of the best gay bars in America by Esquire magazine. The bar serving up brunch, dinner, and hand-crafted cocktails is representing Indy among 31 other gay bars across the country. 🍸 (IndyStar)
Seasonal
Shop
  • Here’s a friendly reminder that Halloween is almost here. Have you bought your costume yet? What about the candy? And if you want to be the coolest parent or grandparent on the block — while increasing your trick-or-treater’s nighttime visibility — grab this affordable 100-pack of glow sticks.*
Stat
  • 37% of prospective homebuyers believe that homeownership will improve their quality of life, according to this recent Financial Wellness Study. Plus, more than 78% are considering buying their first home in the next five years, and 53% want to buy within the next two years. 🏡 *
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
Downtown Indy INC

Add this to your calendar đź“…

Upcoming events at the Madam Walker Legacy Center
INDY-WalkerLegacyCenter-OCT2022.png
The Center was recently renovated this year. | Photo by INDYtoday team
Now that we’ve introduced you to Madam C.J. Walker, here’s a look at her impact on Indy.

The Walker Building — the original headquarters and manufacturing plant of Walker’s beauty company — is now the Madam Walker Legacy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Walker’s legacy by providing cultural education, promoting social justice, supporting entrepreneurship, and empowering youth.

Plan your next visit with some of its upcoming events:
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Anna.

Editor’s pick: Got a green thumb? We know of a few other local plant shops for you to add to your list while you wait for Snakeroot’s new location to open up. 🌿

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Check out these local publications.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Anna Bowman, Nicole Hernandez, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Nicole Fancher | Advertise with us.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?
SUBSCRIBE

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY