PHOTO CREDIT: Members of the Debonair Club in 1952. Photo courtesy Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.
Muncie’s recent local history cannot be properly understood without acknowledging the important role played by its Black population. In the 1930s, Muncie gained a large measure of fame as the subject of Robert and Helen Lynd’s highly influential Middletown sociological studies. However, the vibrant role played by Muncie’s Black community was largely ignored in these works. In 2004, The Other Side of Middletown became an important corrective to this “oversight.” It highlighted the ways in which Black residents established flourishing communities within Muncie that resisted institutional discrimination and the accompanying racism, both overt and covert.
As Muncie’s Black population grew in the 1940s and 1950s, "redlining" practices (common among many northern cities) forced Black Munsonians into a few segregated neighborhoods. Despite (or because of) this, these neighborhoods became vibrant centers of Black culture, civic participation, and thriving businesses. In particular, the Whitely and Industry neighborhoods formed strong centers of community that have persevered to this day. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Muncie’s Black leaders have continued to seek to establish fairness and equality in labor, voting rights, education, and economic opportunities. You can learn more about these leaders through a visit to the Walk of Fame located in the southwestern area of Heeking Park.
Ancient United Knights and Daughters of Africa, Magic City Council #221
Image courtesy of Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.