Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis’ first library for Black residents reopens through school librarian’s leadership
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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.
“Six, seven years later I’m still covering her maternity leave,” he joked.
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.
“It’s been a lesson in collaboration, a lesson in building relationships, a lesson in dreaming alongside our neighbors,” said Broaddus, who is Black. “Ultimately, what does it look like to restore a space and then it be true to its purpose?”
Broaddus led the project to reopen the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, established within the now-closed John Hope School No. 26 in 1922, to students at The Oaks Academy Middle School, a private Christian school in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. The library originally existed to serve Black residents in a de facto segregated part of the city. Its restoration after nearly 30 years of disuse will give Oaks students their own library collection, Broaddus said, while memorializing its place in Indianapolis history.
“We are honoring the past, but we’re doing present work,” he said.
The restored library opened last week on the first day of school at The Oaks. Many shelves are still empty — Broaddus is waiting on a major 1,000-book order — but he’s started curating three special collections on the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, and Afrofuturism.
As parents and new students walked through the building for middle school orientation last Tuesday, they lingered around the library. They saw shelves of rich, dark wood, an ornamental copper ceiling, and a working fireplace.
“It looks like a Harry Potter film in here, you know?” one parent said to her child.
“As well it should,” Broaddus said.
The team behind the project worked to pay homage to the original decor and accents of the space, he said. The library stopped operating in 1997, when John Hope School No. 26 of Indianapolis Public Schools shut down.
The Oaks Academy acquired the building in 2015, according to the school website, and currently has around 270 students in grades 6-8.
Before this year, students relied on the Indianapolis Public Library shared interlibrary system and requested books online that were delivered by Broaddus. They can continue to use that system, but now they also have an internal collection to browse.
In addition to aesthetics, Broaddus wants to honor the legacy of the space by ensuring it benefits the community, not just private school students. He said that’s why he established the Mari Evans Residency for Artists and Authors of Color.
The residency, named for the acclaimed Black poet, writer, and Indianapolis resident Mari Evans, will bring in a renowned author for two weeks to meet with students as well as hold a public-facing event, like a lecture.
The public event is important to Broaddus, who cares about earning the neighborhood’s trust. He said some of the themes of the residency grew out of community feedback.
“If I’m over here operating like, ‘Oh, I know what we should do,’ I’m operating no differently than, frankly, any of the white institutions, just with a Black face in front of it,” he said. “I’m literally no more than a colonizer with brown skin at that point.”
During orientation, the students were intrigued with how the restored library space will be used.
Eighth-grader Lazarus Manley said he likes the idea of going to the library after a long day.
“It just feels really cozy to be in, and I’m really excited to use it,” Manley said.
Haley Miller is a summer reporting intern covering education in the Indianapolis area. Contact Haley at hmiller@chalkbeat.org.
It’s Week 1 of the Indiana high school football season, and there’s no dipping our toes in the water. We’ve got some big-time games right off the bat.
Marquee matchups like Cathedral vs. Ben Davis. Westfield vs. Center Grove. Bishop Chatard vs. Brebeuf Jesuit. Just to name a few.
IHSAA football preview: Everything you need to know for 2024 season
Below is the full Central Indiana slate:
INDIANAPOLIS-AREA INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
Games at 7 p.m., unless noted.
Avon at Lafayette Jeff
Batesville at Triton Central
Bishop Chatard at Brebeuf Jesuit
Bloomington North at Mooresville
Cascade at Indian Creek
Cathedral at Ben Davis
Christel House at Lutheran
Columbus North at Decatur Central
Fishers at North Central
FW Bishop Dwenger at Brownsburg
FW Wayne at Crispus Attucks
Franklin at New Albany
Frankton at Eastern Hancock
Gary West at Washington, 8 p.m.
Gibson Southern at Danville, 8 p.m.
Greencastle at Monrovia
Greenfield-Central at Beech Grove
Greensburg at Shelbyville
Hamilton Heights at Lapel
Hamilton Southeastern at FW Carroll
Heritage Christian vs. Covenant Christian
Homestead at Carmel
Irvington Prep at Faith Christian
Jeffersonville at Whiteland
Kokomo at New Palestine
Lawrence North at Lawrence Central
Martinsville at Bedford North Lawrence
McCutcheon at Guerin Catholic
Mt. Vernon at Noblesville
Park Tudor at Greenwood Christian
Pendleton Heights at Lebanon
Perry Meridian at Franklin Central
Purdue Poly at Shortridge
Roncalli at Southport
Scecina at FW Concordia Lutheran
Seymour at Greenwood
Speedway at South Putnam
Tech at Cardinal Ritter
Terre Haute South at Plainfield
Tindley at Edinburgh
Tri-West at Western
Warren Central at FW Snider
Western Boone at Sheridan
Westfield at Center Grove
Zionsville at Pike
Former Michigan State defensive lineman Mike Panasiuk has found a new home in the National Football League. Panasiuk is signing with the Indianapolis Colts per MLFootball’s reporting.
Panasiuk was a star with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL, which he has parlayed into his second stint in the NFL after spending time with the Carolina Panthers. Since turning professional, Panasiuk has made the transition from defensive to offensive line.
From 2016-2019, Panasiuk recorded 100 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions in his Michigan State career.
At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, with the movement he possessed on the defensive line, Panasiuk provides a versatility on the offensive line.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former Michigan State football DL signs with Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have concluded their second preseason game by defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. Barely any starters outside of a couple saw the field, but there was enough from the game to provide much-needed clarity in areas of the roster. After their first win of 2024, here are the three Colts from Saturday’s game who have their stock on the rise with the regular season just weeks away.
Zavier Scott | Running Back
Running back Jonathan Taylor saw no snaps against the Cardinals and backup Trey Sermon is still dealing with a hamstring injury. This situation opened up opportunities for Evan Hull, Tyler Goodson, and Zavier Scott, to dominate the backfield activity. However, Scott impressed the most out of all the running backs on Saturday evening.
The former Maine Black Bear tallied up 11 carries for 55 rushing yards and a touchdown. Scott led the way for the ground attack and showcased power running and relentless drive through any contact.
Zavier Scott coming through. 💥
📺 CBS4 pic.twitter.com/B6Q2lFIEif
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 18, 2024
Scott might have put his name in consideration for Shane Steichen’s offensive scheme. While he’s likely behind all the other names, Scott is a jack-of-all-trades who poses a threat as a ball carrier, receiver, and potentially, a passer.
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Isaiah Land | Defensive End
The Colts possess one of the most intriguing defensive fronts going into the 2024 regular season. Notable stars like defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart headline the rest of this potentially dominant group led by Charlie Partridge. While rookie end Laiatu Latu has played fantastic in the absence of the 2023 sack leader Samson Ebukam (Achilles tear), others have shown out in the preseason as depth pieces. One of those players is second-year defender Isaiah Land.
Sack by #FAMU’s own #Colts DE Isaiah Land (@IsaiahLand716) pic.twitter.com/UTxZXviW5G
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAth1etes) August 17, 2024
In 2023, Land saw seven games and collected a sack with six tackles. However, he played like a man on a mission against the Cardinals. Land was constantly disrupting plays and finished with a sack and three tackles (two for loss). With Ebukam out for the season, Indy needs another depth edge rusher for depth purposes. If Land continues this pace, he might have a shot at making the 53-man roster to see meaningful action.
Nick Cross | Safety
Safety Nick Cross has had to withstand constant criticism so far through 2024. The critiques don’t come unwarranted, as training camp hasn’t been a good friend to Cross, who is competing to start at one of the safety positions opposite Julian Blackmon. However, Cross played well in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos but looked on fire against the Cardinals.
Nick Cross with a big tackle for loss!#Colts#ForTheShoe#Cardinals#AZvsIND pic.twitter.com/z3t5WlDmtl
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) August 17, 2024
Cross played a lot of snaps so Gus Bradley and the coaching staff could properly evaluate him as a starting safety, he didn’t disappoint with five tackles (one for loss) and good on-field placement in coverage. Cross is still just a 22-year-old going into his third NFL season, so the fruits of Indy’s trade to get him may finally be paying off. This is still the preseason, so the real games will tell a much more vibrant story of Cross’ readiness to start.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!
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