BLACK: A Festival of Joy’s new initiative will fund the fourth annual festival and the creation of more spaces for Black joy.
The Brick by Brick Fund was launched on Feb. 28 with the goal of using collective action to secure resources and funding for the fourth annual BLACK: A Festival of Joy — a free summer event that has gained popularity for celebrating Black culture in Indianapolis. The Brick by Brick Fund is calling on the community to “help build a legacy of joy, resilience and unity in Indianapolis,” according to a press release.
“This isn’t charity — it’s community architecture,” Nigel Long, senior director, Indianapolis Market of GANGGANG, said in a statement. “This initiative invites individuals, small businesses and organizations to contribute at any level. Every brick purchased helps ensure the festival’s growth as a space where Black culture thrives, unapologetically.”
BLACK: A Festival of Joy held its inaugural event at the Taggart Memorial Amphitheater in Riverside Park in 2022 and in just two years, has grown from crowds of 1,500 guests to drawing in over 10,000 in 2024. The free festival is slated to return to the park again this July, continuing its mission of amplifying Black joy “as a revolutionary force,” according to a press release.
Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, one of the city’s historic Black congregations, was the first organization to support the fund by purchasing a commemorative brick at the Keystone Champion level.
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“We should all play a part in building the spaces we want to see and feel safe in,” collective members of the committee said in a statement. “With this fund and festival, we hope to frame joy as both resistance and resilience.”
Organizers of BLACK: A Festival of Joy are encouraging small businesses, creatives and community members to donate to the Brick by Brick Fund to “fuel the growth of Black joy” and help keep the festival free.
For more information about BLACK: A Festival of Joy, visit blackjoyindy.com. To learn more about the Brick by Brick Fund and how to get involved, visit givebutter.com/BLACKJoy25.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
