In an effort to uplift the legacy of famed entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker, the city of Indianapolis recently dedicated a portion of Indiana Avenue as Madam Walker Memorial Way. Last week, the Madam Walker Legacy Center officially unveiled a historic marker to commemorate the new name. The center spent the last year working with community partners and city officials to secure the designation.  

The new name is part of a larger effort by the Walker Legacy Center to revitalize a once thriving Indiana Avenue, a section of town that, almost 100 years ago, boomed with locally-owned Black businesses and entertainment venues. Madam Walker Legacy Center President Kristian Little Strickland said, “There is no Indiana Avenue without the Madame Walker Legacy Center.” 

The Madame Walker Legacy Center is the cornerstone of an Indiana Avenue revitalization project. And now, the center is ready to unveil more details about its strategic plan going into the future. The ambitious plan includes a rooftop venue and creating an endowment so the center can financially support small Black-owned businesses in Indianapolis.

The rooftop venue, in particular, is something the center is very excited to unveil. Kristian Little says the space will help the Madame Walker Legacy Center stay competitive when hosting events and parties.  

Echoing the indomitable spirit of Madame Walker and the center’s work supprting entrepreneurs, Kristian Little says, “Her legacy is living on.”  

THIS ARTICLE IS SPONSORED BY INNOPOWER.