The Madam C.J. Walker Building: A Historic African-American Landmark in Indianapolis
Constructed in 1927, this triangular brick structure housed a 1,500-seat theater, a ballroom, doctor's offices, a drugstore, and a coffee shop. The building was designed by the architecture firm, Rubbish and Hunter. The unique Art Deco design, interspersed with African and Egyptian motifs, gives the building a singular look.
But first and foremost, the building was the headquarters of the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. Incorporated in 1910, this cosmetics maker found success catering to the often-overlooked needs of black women. The company employed a small army of well-paid and well-trained door-to-door salesmen spread out across the country. Their flagship product, Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower, promised to strengthen and regrow hair.
Kristian Strickland, President of the Madam Walker Legacy Center says, “There weren't really a lot of options before Madam Walker. Most women were washer women. They didn't have access to clean water or time, and so a lot of times their hair was very dirty. They wore a lot of scarves that wore their hair thin.”
Who Was Madam C.J. Walker?
The company was so successful that when she died in 1919, founder Madam C.J. Walker, who was born to formerly enslaved parents, had become the first self-made female millionaire of any race in United States history.
“She was the youngest of her siblings, the only one that was not born into slavery. She lost her parents early. She married at 14 years old, had a child by the time she was 16, and then was a widow all before the age of 21,” Strickland states. “To have to do all of that at a time when you're really still a child yourself, I think it's already in you that you have to be an overcomer. So there is no other way but up.”
While Madam Walker didn't live long enough to see the building's completion, you can be sure it would have received her stamp of approval.
Strickland explains, “The legend goes, she attempted to go to a movie at another theater here in Indianapolis, and was initially denied entry unless she paid what they call a ‘black tax.’ So she needed to pay an additional $0.15 just because of the color of her skin. She declined to pay. She actually sued the theater, and she won. But it was also in that moment that she decided that we needed a place for us.”
It's believed that Madam Walker purchased this corner plot soon afterwards.
“I like to say it was FUBU before FUBU: ‘for us, by us.’ That is how the theater and this building came to be. To think that she had the vision for something like that in the early 1900s is just amazing,” Strickland says.
The easing of legal segregation mixed with ill-fated urban renewal projects gradually dismantled the historic Indiana Avenue neighborhood. The Walker Building is one of the last left standing from the Avenue's prime. It was spared only through years of hard work and activism, which culminated in a National Historic Landmark designation in 1991.
The Madam Walker Legacy Center Today
Today, the building is home to the Madam Walker Legacy Center. This social justice nonprofit is dedicated to serving the local community and honoring one of America's most successful female entrepreneurs, and its stage has continued to be a beacon for black art and culture.
“We want everything here at the Walker. We are open to all!” Strickland exclaims. “This past spring, we had Misty Copeland here for a speaking engagement. We've had a play about the life of Charlie Parker that was here. Netflix filmed an entire comedy special here. I think that the opportunities are endless.”
A recent performance at the Walker featured some local talent: Indianapolis R&B group, 4Cast.
“It’s one of those situations where it's just like as a kid growing up, you would go past the Madam Walker, and you would see so many different artists coming in to perform and stuff like that. For us to be able to be one of those artists, to be able to touch such a gracious stage, it’s an honor,” says C.Jayy, a member of 4Cast.
It's been nearly a century since the Madam Walker became a hub of African American life in Indianapolis. Now it's poised to continue that legacy for many, many years to come.
“I grew up in Indianapolis. I always heard about Madam Walker, I've never not known it. But to be able to now know that my children, my children's children will be able to come back here and they'll be able to learn and see it as well and know that I had a very, very small part in making sure that it was around for them, it's amazing,” concludes Strickland.
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/
