Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Decades before Juneteenth became widely observed across Indiana, the Avenue was already celebrating freedom through music. Explore the history of a 1953 landmark concert on Indiana Avenue, one of the first Juneteenth celebrations in Indianapolis.

On June 19th, the Avenue’s Sunset Terrace club hosted an all-star concert featuring R&B performers Johnny Otis, Marie Adams, Mel Walker, and Redd Lyte. The event was sponsored by Indianapolis's Black firefighters and police officers as a community fundraiser.

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