Indianapolis, IN
Remembering Dr. King’s 1959 speech in Indianapolis
Claudia Polley was around 10 years-old when her parents brought her to the Fall Creek YMCA in Indianapolis to hear a speech from Martin Luther King Jr.
The date was December 11, 1959. It was King’s second appearance in Indianapolis — he’d spoken a year earlier at the Cadle Tabernacle on December 12th of 1958. Both events were organized by the Senate Avenue YMCA’s Monster Meetings, a historic series of talks organized by Black leaders in Indianapolis.
The Monster Meetings started in the early 1900s and were held regularly in the city until the early 1960s. Other prominent figures featured at the Monster Meetings include Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Thurgood Marshall.
King’s 1959 speech at The Fall Creek YMCA was titled “Remaining Awake Through A Revolution.” There are no known recordings of King’s address, but local papers provided extensive coverage.
“America is in danger of producing guided missiles and misguided men,” King told the audience of 900. Adding, “You can hear the distant rumblings of discontent from those who have been segregated and humiliated for centuries, crying out for freedom and determined to end their exploitation.”
When I spoke with the historian and preservationist Claudia Polley, she couldn’t recall the exact themes Kings addressed during his 1959 Indianapolis appearance. Instead, she recalled the aura and inspiration King brought to his Indiana audience.
That inspiration eventually led Polley to create the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative, an organization dedicated to preserving Black history in Indiana.
I spoke with Polley last year, and she shared her memories of listening to Dr. King.
KYLE LONG: In March of 1959, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the then newly constructed Fall Creek YMCA.
You told me your parents thought it was important for you to be exposed to this and you got to see Dr. King speak at the Fall Creek YMCA. What do you remember about that anything you want to share about that experience?
CLAUDIA POLLEY: I remember that well, one, Dr. King was an amazing personage. And his aura was astounding. Now I was all of just 10 years old, even I’m not even sure I turned 10 at that point.
And it was wonderful to look around at all the adults that were there and how intent they were at listening to what he had to say. Because Indianapolis at that point was trying to figure out how it fit in this movement, this freedom movement that was happening in the United States and Indianapolis was never out in front in terms of being rebellious.
But the powers that be had decided that it was time for Indianapolis to move forward, there should be a lot of the de facto segregation that was in place that needed to stop. And so having Dr. King there, having him there for a monster meeting at the newly opened Fall Creek YMCA was pretty extraordinary.
And what I remember is the feeling I remember a little bit about what he said but it was the feeling of purpose that was in the room. It was the extraordinary feeling of of the aura that he gave off from the stage that inspired all of us to do better, and to figure out how we fit into this new world.
Long: For WFYI, I’m Kyle Long.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is under a heat advisory with temperatures in the 90s throughout the week.
Many cooling centers will open throughout the state for those that need to find relief from the heat. Hoosiers looking to find cooling centers in their area can contact Indiana 211. To learn more, call 211 or (866) 211-9966.
Avaliable cooling centers can also be found by clicking here.
Marion County
For those living in Indianapolis, Indy Parks has several cooling centers across the city.
Those Cooling Centers are:
- Broad Ripple Park Family Center
- Brookside Park Family Center
- Christian Park Family Center
- Frederick Douglass Park Family Center
- Garfield Park Burrello Family Center
- Krannert Park Family Center
- Grassy Creek Environmental Education Center
- Pride Park Family Center
- Rhodius Park Family Center
- Riverside Park Family Center
- Stanley Strader Park Family Center
- Washington Park Family Center
- Windsor Park Family Center
- Watkins Park Family Center
- Thatcher Park Family Center
For addresses and hours of operations of these cooling centers, click here.
Beech Grove will also have two cooling Centers for residents starting Monday, June 29. Those hours and locations are:
- Beech Grove Senior Center, 602 Main St
- 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Hornet Park Community Center, 5245 Hornet Ave
- 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
Other Central Indiana Cooling Centers
For addresses and hour of operations of cooling centers below, click here.
Marion
- St. Martin Community Center
- Grant County Family YMCA
- Grant County Rescue Mission
Kokomo
- The Kokomo Rescue Mission
- The Excel Center in Kokomo
Peru
- Community Resource Center
- Miami County Courthouse
- Miami County Health Department
- Miami County YMCA
- Peru City Hall
- Peru Public Library
- Peru Schools Administration Building
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The National Weather Service out of Indianapolis has issued a Heat Advisory for all of Central Indiana and a High Heat Warning for parts of northern Indiana. The Advisory and Warning will go into effect at 12 PM on Monday and will run through 8 PM Thursday.
WRTV
A Heat Advisory means that temperatures in the 90s with dew points in the 70s, will lead to Heat Index values reaching 106. Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
Stay cool:
Drink plenty of fluids, check up on relatives and neighbors, and stay in an air-conditioned room when possible. If outside for extended periods of time, make sure to take frequent breaks in the shade as much as you can.
TODAY
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs reach the mid to upper 80s, with a light south breeze around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, with most of central Indiana staying dry from start to finish.
TONIGHT
Mostly clear early, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy toward daybreak. Lows hold in the low 70s, with a light south southeast breeze around 5 mph. Humidity stays elevated overnight, but quiet weather continues and there are no meaningful travel concerns.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values around or above 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s and a light south southwest breeze. There will be very little cooling after sunset, and the muggy feel hangs on through the night. Dry weather remains in place.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After Saturday’s leftover storm chances fade away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with the next better opportunity for showers and storms showing up later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after tonight becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
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