Beginning in the mid-1800s, many formerly enslaved people began migrating north and settling on the land currently occupied by IU Indianapolis. A thriving Black community developed, and Indiana Avenue and Ransom Place became a hub for arts and culture and included a business district, schools, churches, leisure spaces and homes.
During the Jazz Era legends like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald played alongside locals like the Hampton Sisters and Wes Montgomery at the 30-plus venues in the neighborhood, including Madam Walker Theatre. "The Avenue" was also home to a thriving community of Black drag performers.
Following WWII, urban renewal projects abounded throughout the U.S. And like most urban renewal projects, the development of IU Indianapolis came at the expense of impoverished, Black community members who were not paid the full replacement value of the property they sold or struggled to find suitable rentals at the same price.