Urban renewal in the 1960s and 1970s changed the landscape of
many American cities. In Indianapolis, an African-American
neighborhood was largely bulldozed to make way for a new
university. But now, archaeologists are finding evidence
suggesting that it wasn't as blighted as portrayed before it was
destroyed. They say the neighborhood's history deserves a
rewrite. When 86-year old Tom Ridley pulls out a picture of a
bustling Indiana venue during its heyday, he cradles it in his
hand like an old family photo. "I carried papers down through
here when I was a little boy," he says. "Here's some of the
buildings that used to be on the avenue. Like barbershops,
grocery stores, shoe shops — anything you'd just about want." A
Vibrant Community The area was the economic center of the city's
vibrant African-American community. It was known as a rowdy
post-Prohibition jazz mecca, Oscar Robertson's playground, and
home to cosmetics magnate Madam C.J. Walker, often called the
nation's first self-made female millionaire. R