Celebration to recognize 95th year of Madam Walker Legacy Center
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Madam Walker Legacy Center stands tall on Indiana Avenue even after 95 years, and a weekend’s worth of events will highlight the milestone with Grammy-winning artist and Indianapolis native Babyface kicking things off.
The performing arts theater opened eight years after African American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker’s death in 1919. The theater is the last remaining Black-owned building from the Historic Indiana Avenue. Representatives say her legacy runs strong and is important to maintain.
The staple in the heart of Indianapolis has 95 years of history to tell. A ball on Thursday night and a Block Party from noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday will denote the anniversary.
The building was opened to create a safe entertainment space for Black Hoosiers.
Kristian Stricklen, president of Walker Legacy Center, said of Walker, “Her vision came about because she was denied access to another theater without having to pay a Black tax, and it was in that moment that she decided that she was going to build something for Black people.”
The entertainment acts that’s have passed through — from Ella Fitzgerald and Wes Montgomery to more modern acts including Mike Epps and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds — have helped shaped the theater’s legacy.
Stricklen grew up knowing the Walker theater’s value from visiting and hearing stories from her grandmother. She’s now doing her part to keep the history of Walker alive. “It is our ultimate goal as the Legacy Center to uplift her legacy.”
“It is very important, not just for Black history, but for history (in) Indiana, history as a whole,” Stricklen said. “That we know what we had here, and that we do whatever we can to preserve it.”
Stricklen said African-American Music Appreciation Month makes the Block Party “just an amazing time and opportunity.” The theater’s 95th celebration will open Thursday night with a legacy ball and Babyface concert at the center. Rounding out the weekend on Saturday and Sunday will be community Block Party and Fathers’ Day brunch.
Tickets will be required for some events, but the Block Party celebrations are free.