Preenact festival kicks off in Martindale-Brightwood INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Martindale-Brightwood community kicked off its PreEnact festival Thursday afternoon, celebrating a neighborhood in transition. In its fifth year, the festival honored the past, celebrated the present, and reimagi ned the future of the neighborhood on the north side. Community leaders say events like this one are vital to preserving the historically Black community for decades to come. The event was hosted at the historic Polk Stables. Kenedy Manuel is an organizer at the Harrison Center, a nonprofit community arts center and cultural hub. Manuel said the festival is about more than just a celebration. “The whole idea is we’re spending time to get to know our neighbors and also leverage our resources together. We want this to be a space and an event that’s fun, but it’s also a space where people can connect and get to know each other.” The festival also highlighted a $5.5 million investment from KIPP Indy Public Schools, funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. The initiative aims to expand opportunities for area students and families by investing the funds over four years into six community-based organizations, including the Harrison Center. This year’s celebration included a special tribute to Gina Fears, a community leader who helped shape the neighborhood’s quality-of-life plan. Elders in purple sashes, who call themselves the “greatriach,” were also recognized for their decades of residency. Resident Mattie Kates, 86, has witnessed the neighborhood’s evolution firsthand. “Every block had houses and kids; neighbors sat on their porch. Kids played on the street. And now we don’t see our neighbors because they got garages and they go to the back and I don’t see them.” To bridge that gap, the festival’s Polklore mini-museum showcased heritage and history through artifacts donated by neighbors. “It’s always good to know about your history. Once you understand the history of the community, you can help grow and develop it as well,” said Immanuel Ivey of the Edna Martin Community Based Development Organization. “We don’t want to steer away from the historical aspect of Martindale-Brightwood. We welcome new activities and new things within the community.” While locals acknowledged the pressures of gentrification, the conversation also turned to the future. Most community leaders in attendance expressed opposition to a planned data center set to be built in the coming years, though they remain open to other developments. Eunice Trotter, director of the Black Heritage Preservation Program, believes the future lies in securing the neighborhood’s status as a historical landmark. “It is now having a renaissance; there is a rebirth that’s taking place here. Part of that is attributable to entities like Harrison Center… saving the history and culture. That brought interest in the community, and that shows what culture and art preservation can do.” The resounding message from residents was clear: Martindale-Brightwood has a rich history, and no matter how much the landscape changes, the people who call it home aren’t going anywhere. ...read more read less