The city and county of Indianapolis is currently 29.3% African American, while the metropolitan area is 16% black. The map below illustrates the diversity of the city, with green areas representing more diverse populations and red areas representing less diverse populations. Diversity in this context refers to a mix of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds living in close proximity to one another. For instance, all-black or all-white neighborhoods would be considered to lack diversity. The most recent statistics show that 26% of the population is African American, making it a great starting point for research into Indianapolis and the rest of Indiana.
STATS Indiana is a statistical data company based in Indiana, developed and maintained since 1985 by the Indiana Business Research Center at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Many of the stories in the Indiana Avenue narrative point to a decline that began in the 1950s with the integration or increase of racial equity. In 1957, Indiana announced plans to build an interstate highway through the center of the Indiana Avenue neighborhoods in Indianapolis. This project has been supported by the State of Indiana, Lilly Foundation, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and Indiana University.
