‘There’s still life in this area’: What Douglass Park means to its community

When thinking about places — real, tangible locations — around Indianapolis that are important both historically and culturally to the Black community, what do you think of?

If you said Frederick Douglass Park, you are not alone.

Named after the abolitionist, Frederick Douglass Park is located on East 25th Street in Martindale Brightwood and sits on 80 acres of land with a swimming pool, golf course, playground, tennis courts and family center. The park first opened in 1921 and has since been embraced by the Black community like the Madam Walker Legacy Center or what used to be Indiana Avenue, east side resident Glenn Powe said.

“It was because it was part of the African American culture when I grew up,” Powe said. “Going to Douglass Park on the weekend, going to church on the weekend … it was just what you done (sic), and it gave you a safe place to play and hang out.”

Powe, who grew up near 16th and 38th when it used to be known as Brightwood, said Douglass Park was where he first played basketball and swam. It was not just a safe haven for Black kids to play or adults to meet or men to golf, it was the onlyplace they could be, at least until the 1970s, Powe said.

“The only history you kind of were given growing up is that this was a park for the Black kids,” said Keisha Howard, who has been coming to Frederick Douglass Park for more than 15 years. “We stayed in this area, and we were protected in this area.”

Howard grew up on Capitol Avenue, but her church — and now her business — is near the park. Over the years, Howard came to the park to attend barbecues and watch her son’s basketball and football games. 

Douglass Park was — and still is — a safe place for Black kids to play sports, swim and hang out because many of the parents, teachers and church members host events, reunions and community gatherings, Powe said.

“Everybody’s parents was already there doing events, from those softball games and those dust bowls, just people in the community,” Powe said. “They would be having discussions about the Indianapolis Recorder, and what they wanted to put it in — it was almost like an informal meeting place, there were so many adults there.”

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Thanks to funding from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Circle City Forward Initiative, the park underwent renovations to open The Frederick Douglass Park Family Center on May 23, 2024. The family center gave new life to the park, Howard said, bringing with it community-based programming, an indoor track, gymnasium, a safe playground and tennis courts where kids can take lessons.

“The playground is phenomenal,” Howard said. “I love it. I just hope we’re able to take care of and keep it for the kids. This is a safe place for them, and I love that it’s a safe place for all of them to kind of come out and enjoy themselves.” 

The park also hosts events, including Mike Epps’ free concert on Sept. 7, which drew several hundred people, and the Citywide Jamboree on Oct. 5, which saw nearly 300 kids and featured community partners all aimed at helping students finish this semester strong, Howard said.

“Once again, it was just, it felt so relieved to be in a safe place where the kids could play and not be bogged down with all the violence that’s going around the community,” Howard said. “So them remodeling this and giving it a new face kind of gave the community another second chance of hope.”

For more information about Frederick Douglass Park, visit parks.indy.gov/parks/frederick-douglass-park. 

To read more of Indianapolis Recorder’s coverage of Frederick Douglass Park over the years, check out indianapolisrecorder.com or search the Recorder Archives.

Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.