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Honoring the History

JOHN HOPE SCHOOL No. 26

Paul laurence dunbar library

On Monday, May 16, 2022, an Indiana Historical Marker honoring the legacy of John Hope School No. 26 and the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library was dedicated near the corner of East 16th Street and Columbia Avenue in front of an audience filled with School 26 alumni. May 16th marked the centennial of the doors opening at the Dunbar Library, which served as an Indianapolis public library branch within the school for 45 years. In addition to the dedication ceremony, the documentary, The Glories of Our Journey: A Community Story, premiered, shedding further light on the rich history of the building and neighborhood The Oaks Academy, Martindale-Brightwood now calls home.

The Oaks Academy is grateful for the opportunity to work with School 26 alumni and local historians to compile and share the history of this building and its significance within the community. We hope to continue to collect and share their stories and hopefully inspire a longing to learn even more about those who went before us.

Paul Laurence Dunbar Library

Mari Evans Residency for Artists and Authors of Color

The Paul Laurence Dunbar Library Branch was the first Indianapolis Public Library branch established specifically to serve an African American community. Established in 1922 within John Hope School No. 26 and led by trailblazer Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, the first African American to graduate from an accredited library school in Indiana, the library provided a sanctuary rich in resources on Black culture and history, nurturing the minds and spirits of its patrons.

Throughout its existence, the Dunbar Library remained steadfast in its mission, moving to a larger location within School 26 in 1949 to better serve its community. Though the public library branch faced closure in 1967 when the Marion County Library merged with Indianapolis Public Library, the Dunbar Library continued to serve its beloved School 26 until the school’s closure in 1997.

What began in May 2022 with the dedication of an Indiana Historical Marker commemorating School 26 and the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library in Martindale-Brightwood has grown into a project that honors the community’s history and highlights the current contributions of African American writers. In May of 2024, the library reopened in its original historic footprint to serve Oaks Academy students and launched the Mari Evans Residency for Artists and Authors of Color.

Indiana Historical Marker Dedication

Monday, May 16, 2022

Read the official Press Release regarding the Marker Dedication and the text included on the marker here.

A Studio Auteur and Beyond Above Media Presentation of a Jerald Harkness Film

Commissioned by The Oaks Academy in partnership with Indiana Humanities, this documentary honors the legacy of John Hope School 26 and Paul Laurence Dunbar Library. A collection of interviews with local historians and School 26 alumni, the documentary sheds light on the rich history of the building and neighborhood.

The documentary was premiered during the Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony, and was later shown at the Kan-Kan Cinema and included a panel discussion about the importance of schools and libraries as community anchors.

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.”

Read more here.

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.

Read more here.

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.

Read more here.

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.

Read more here.

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.

Read or listen here.

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.

We explore more of those years not already covered here.

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.

Read more here.

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.

Read more here.
Many thanks to Michele Fenton for writing this report about the reopening of the Dunbar Library, a former branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, in the Celebrations column!
Read more here.

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.

We share more about the renovation, reopening event, and future of the library here.

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.

Read more here.

Have Questions?

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.