The Great Migration, from 1916 to 1970, brought black families from the South to Indianapolis for better jobs, housing, and a quality education. By 1920, 35,000 African-Americans lived in Indianapolis, doubling in the span of twenty years. However, families were greatly disappointed to find that Indianapolis was as segregated as it was in the South. These challenges included an environment where the black community was marginalized and thought of differently because of the color of their skin.
After the Civil War, the city of Indianapolis had integrated schools; however, because of the influence of Jim Crow laws, rise of the Ku Klux Klan with over 250,000 members in 1924, and a growing black population, IPS felt pressured to create a segregated high school. “… Parades of masked Klansmen were organized. One parade on Washington Street, consisting of row after row of masked Klansmen marching slowly to the beat of muffle drums took an hour to pass.” The Indianapolis Recorder front page from September 10, 1927, showing violence and discrimination against black community. (Click to enlarge.)
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Ku Klux Klan, Hoosier Chronicles, 1923
At the time of Attucks' approval, all IPS board members were either Klansmen or people working with the Klan. The school board unanimously voted for the new high school 4-0, and construction began immediately. Coincidently, the day the school opened, there was a massive Klansman march through Washington Street lasting an hour.
Article from Indianapolis Recorder, September 10, 1927
" We are not planning a colored high school, but we are planning a high school and this high school must meet the standards from every point of view." |