Martindale-Brightwood is a predominantly black community on the Eastside of Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States Of America. Many have called it a city within a city. Originally plotted as two distinct settlements, Martindale-Brightwood now encompasses 4 major neighborhoods and adjacent residential areas. Neighborhoods like Hillside, Oak Hill, Ralston Hovey, and Brightwood make up the core of the community. We are a thriving and fruitful working class community full of rich history and a promising future, where neighbors live, work, play, and worship.
Martindale-Brightwood is happy to welcome new neighbors and new investment in our community. We believe in Hoosier hospitality. We also believe in fair wages for real work. Indiana needs to work for us too. Our community has already been planting the seeds, now we expect to reap the fruit of our labor.
For this project, I wanted to draw a thorough line between Martindale-Brightwood’s legacy of environmental damage and the resilience and self sufficiency of our residents. Despite rampant disinvestment, our community has always found a way to continue producing the cultural and economic capital of this city. The true wealth of Martindale-Brightwood lies in the people that reside there. By connecting personal stories to the landscape and history, we are shedding light on the full spectrum of experiences that make up our city’s heart. Each story highlights a new perspective on what constitutes wealth, what home means, and who is community.
After hearing these stories, you realize that Martindale-Brightwood isn't rich because of investment, it’s rich because we made it home.