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The first YWCA branch in Indianapolis opened its doors in 1895, but was segregated. Five prominent women leaders including Madam C.J. Walker formed a committee to create a center specifically for Black women and girls in the city.

The Indianapolis Phyllis Wheatley YWCA opened in 1921 in a building on California Street. It is named after the first published African American woman poet in the U.S. Due to an increase in enrollment the “Wheatley Y,” moved into a new, three-story building at 653 N. West in 1928. The organization closed in 1959, after 35 years once YWCAs were desegregated.

On April 26, more than 100 residents, leaders and stakeholders gathered on the lawn of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for the unveiling of the historical marker to honor the history of the YWCA branch.

Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.

Ted Somerville is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at tedsomphoto@gmail.com.

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See photos from the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA historical marker celebration

by Ted Somerville and Mesgana Waiss, Mirror Indy
April 30, 2025

<h1>See photos from the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA historical marker celebration</h1> <p class="byline">by Ted Somerville and Mesgana Waiss, Mirror Indy <br />April 30, 2025</p> <p>The first YWCA branch in Indianapolis opened its doors in 1895, but was segregated. Five prominent women leaders including Madam C.J. Walker formed a committee to create a center specifically for Black women and girls in the city.</p> <p><a href="https://historicindianapolis.com/phyllis-wheatley-y-w-c-a/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Indianapolis Phyllis Wheatley YWCA</a> opened in 1921 in a building on California Street. It is named after the first published African American woman poet in the U.S. Due to an increase in enrollment the “Wheatley Y,” moved into a new, three-story building at 653 N. West in 1928. The organization closed in 1959, after 35 years once YWCAs were desegregated.</p> <p>On April 26, more than 100 residents, leaders and stakeholders gathered on the lawn of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for the unveiling of the historical marker to honor the history of the YWCA branch.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS002-1024x753.jpg" alt="Rhoda Stuart-Keough raises her hand and smiles. She's sitting in a church pew surrounded by other people, who are clapping." class="wp-image-51142" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rhoda Stuart-Keough, a lifelong parishioner of St. Philip’s, raises her hands as she receives recognition for her involvement in the preservation of the history of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA on April 26, 2025.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:33.33%"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS005-682x1024.jpg" alt="Dr. Carlos W Perkins speaks into a microphone at a podium outdoors." class="wp-image-51146" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">City-County Councilor Dr. Carlos W Perkins, who is a pastor at Bethel Cathedral AME Zionsville, speaks during the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA plaque dedication ceremony April 26, 2025.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:66.66%"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS004-1024x682.jpg" alt="A screen at the front of a church shows a black-and-white photo of two Black girls in white dresses." class="wp-image-51145" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A photo of two girls in a documentary about the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA is projected before the ceremony of the plaque dedication April 26, 2025.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS008-1024x669.jpg" alt="A hand reaches for a book with a cover reading, &quot;Legacy Lands, Protopian Futures, Reclamation, Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Indianapolis.&quot;" class="wp-image-51149" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A free copy of “Legacy Lands | Protopian Futures,” a multi-disciplinary design studio book produced by the Harvard Graduate School of Design, sits on a pew April 26, 2025, at St. Philip's Episcopal Church.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:66.66%"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS003-1024x686.jpg" alt="A woman sits in a church pew looking down at at book showing a stylized map of Indianapolis." class="wp-image-51143" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A participant of the ceremony looks over a copy of “Legacy Lands | Protopian Futures,” a multi-disciplinary design studio book produced by the Harvard Graduate School of Design, on April 26, 2025, at St. Philip's Episcopal Church.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:33.33%"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS007-748x1024.jpg" alt="A collection of buttons show a vintage YWCA logo and the words, &quot;For Phyllis Wheatley Building I Gave.&quot;" class="wp-image-51148" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Buttons for donors to the plaque dedication sit on a table April 26, 2025.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS010-1024x682.jpg" alt="Olivia Lockhart, a Black woman, stands with her back to a wall, smiling slightly with yellow lilies nearby." class="wp-image-51152" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Olivia Lockhart, a member of Bethel AME, poses for a portrait April 26, 2025, during the ceremony.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS012-682x1024.jpg" alt="Linda Simms Evans stands in a crowd, smiling brightly while holding a copy of the &quot;Legacy Lands&quot; book to her chest. " class="wp-image-51154" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Linda Simms Evans holds a copy of “Legacy Lands | Protopian Futures” on April 26, 2025, during the ceremony.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS006-849x1024.jpg" alt="Gail Dent stands with her arms clasped in front of her, looking to the side with a serious expression." class="wp-image-51147" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gail Dent, a member of St. Philip's Episcopal Church, waits at the entry to greet participants of the plaque dedication ceremony for the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA building, April 26, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phyllis-Wheatley-YMCA_TS011-1024x714.jpg" alt="A crowd of people stand and sit in a parking lot near a historical marker covered with a cloth. A man is speaking at a podium near the marker." class="wp-image-51153" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Participants of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA plaque dedication ceremony listen as Dr. Joseph Tucker Edmonds, professor of Africana and religious studies at IU Indianapolis, speaks April 26, 2025 outside of St. Philip's Espiscopal church.</figcaption></figure> <p><em>Ted Somerville is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at <a href="mailto:tedsomphoto@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tedsomphoto@gmail.com</a>.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/see-photos-phyllis-wheatley-ywca-historical-maker-event-indianapolis/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=51176&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/see-photos-phyllis-wheatley-ywca-historical-maker-event-indianapolis/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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