Ron Lovett, who attended John Hope from grades 3 through 8 in 1965 to 1971, is one of the alumni leading the project.
“What I mostly remember is those African American teachers who were mentors first and foremost,” Lovett said. “Always bringing the best out of students. Always setting us up for greatness.”
A new Indiana state historical marker commemorating the John Hope School No. 26 was to be unveiled Monday at the Oaks Academy.
Kisha Tandy, curator of social history at the Indiana State Museum, and Ron Lovett, School No. 26 graduate (1971), on “Life. Style. Live!” shared what you need to know about this slice of history.
History was honored Monday night at a school on the city’s northeast side.
One of the first schools for Black students was designated a historical marker during a commemoration ceremony.
For decades, John Hope School No. 26 served as a beacon for all those who attended school and worked there.
“The school was the center point for the neighborhood,” said Ron Lovett, an alumni of the school.
It was one of the first public schools for African American students in Indianapolis. Inside, it housed the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library – the first African American library in the city.
John Hope School 26 was one of the first public schools for Black students in Indianapolis. It’s now home to the Oaks Academy, and it is the subject of a new documentary. “The Glories of Our Journey” examines the history and legacy of the school. WFYI’s Taylor Bennett spoke with 1971 alumnus Ron Lovett and Oaks Academy CEO Andrew Hart to learn more.
We are grateful and proud to call this beautiful historic building home, and to pay tribute to the legacy of the school and library that came before us. We honor the history of School 26, its alum, and the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library.
The “jewel for the Black community,” which opened in 1922 during segregation, has been reopened at the Oaks Academy. The library was originally opened inside John Hope School No. 26 as the city’s first library specifically for Black residents. The library has been reopened in the same space for students of the Oaks Academy Middle School.
The Paul Laurence Library at the Oaks Academy looks staged for Black History Month, but the library will look like that year-round. Books highlighting Black authors and the community’s history line the walls in the Martindale Brightwood library. WRTV’s Adam Schumes tells us how the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library is being renovated to honor African American authors.
In May 2024, The Oaks proudly reopened the historic Paul Laurence Dunbar Library inside our historic Martindale-Brightwood campus. Restored to its original footprint, the library will host the Mari Evans Residency for Artists and Authors of Color, fostering cultural exchange and education for the community.
Maurice Broaddus was a writer by trade and became a middle school librarian by accident. The award-winning Afrofuturist and sci-fi author once filled in at The Oaks Academy middle school, where he was also a teacher, for the librarian going on maternity leave. The librarian never came back.
But what started as mere chance has become an opportunity to mentor young writers, support artists of color, and restore a historic Indianapolis library that was the first in the city established specifically for Black residents.
Change is always challenging, especially when it may effect your children. Please share any questions or comments you have using the form below, or by emailing me directly at ahart@theoaksacademy.org.
I’ll respond to your inquiry directly and as quickly as I can.