THE CONCORD NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER PROJECT
CAROLINE AMMON
I am a senior majoring in Anthropology with an applied focus in cultural and linguistic anthropology. I am always interested in getting more involved in the community but being an introvert, I don’t always know how to begin. I was drawn to this project because of the people involved and the story they had to tell. I also wanted to understand the deep connections people had to the Center as well as the role the Center has played in bringing people together from all walks of life.
Originally raised in the mountains of North Carolina, I did not grow up as part of a cohesive community and always longed for it. In hearing of the impact the Concord Center has had on the lives of children and elders alike, I wanted to play my part in telling the story and keeping the history alive. I have loved getting to know the staff and community members and sharing their stories.
Meet The Research Team
VARSHINI BALAJI
I am a senior majoring in Anthropology with minors in Economics and Public and Professional Writing. I was drawn to the Concord Center history project because of its unique and richly historical positioning in the Southside community. As an anthropologist, I was curious to understand how the Concord Center has consistently transformed and developed its programming to meet the changing needs and landscape of the Southside community.
Through the process of working on this project, I especially enjoyed interviewing Dana Orr, a Concord Center staff member, who spoke candidly about the challenges of sustainably working for the community. More importantly, as an immigrant who moved to Indianapolis to pursue my undergraduate degree in 2016, this project provided me with an opportunity to be politically engaged in the Indianapolis community.
ALLISON BAKER
I am a first-year Master’s Degree student with the IUPUI Museum Studies Master’s Program. I received an Undergraduate Degree in Anthropology in 2019, with minors in Geography and a Certificate in Museum Studies. I decided that this class would be perfect for me because it tied in very important practices from both my Undergraduate and now Graduate degrees that could be well utilized in the future. I had heard so many amazing things about the Indianapolis Southside community and the class itself from past students that I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity! Through my time interacting with community members, I feel that I have become a better communicator both casually and for interview purposes. It has given me a new sense of what community means, something I didn’t have growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis. It has been an incredible experience getting to know the members of the community, as well as learn about their interesting history!
SARAH FREEMAN
Hi! I am a senior in Anthropology and graduating in May 2020. With a minor in Classical Studies, working in this class was a wonderful experience. I thought this project would be amazing to do because I love history and wanted to help build the history of the Concord Center. When I decided to take this course, I knew working with people with such a rich history like those within the Southside community would be an amazing opportunity. Working with my group and members of the community to explore the past of this building has been a great journey that we accomplished together. Working together, we have made a project that I am so proud of. I had the opportunity to interview Judge William Levy and researched the information for Enoch Mitchell's feature for the project.
CECILIA GOMEZ
I am a senior studying Anthropology and Social work with a minor in Global and International Studies. I was interested in working on this project because I admire the Southside community’s close-knit relationships and wanted to learn more about how the Concord Center met the needs of their neighborhood. After spending time with the Concord Center staff members, I came to appreciate the Concord Center’s community-first approach that makes their programs so attentive to the Southside's needs. One of the most insightful parts of working on this project was the repeated theme that community can be an extension of family. The Concord Center has been a staple of the Southside for generations, and seeing the reciprocity of care between the staff and the neighborhood was exceptional.
BILLIE MARCHEVA
Hello! I’m currently in junior standing at IUPUI, studying for a degree in Anthropology, with a focus on creating opportunities for independent youth through empowering transformative programs and education. I’m originally from Varna, Bulgaria, and currently live in Greenwood, Indiana, with my lovely fiancé and our dog.
I was drawn to this project because of the unique passion community members have for their neighborhood. I hope to capture some of their spirits in this project. My favorite part of this adventure has been getting to know the history of the Indianapolis Southside and, of course, interviewing Miz Pete.
Collaborators
DR. SUSAN HYATT
Dr. Susan B. Hyatt is a Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Chair of the Anthropology Department. She is also the founder of the department's MA program in Applied Anthropology. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 1996. She regularly teaches ethnographic methods courses and is committed to involving her students in collaborating with community partners. In 2010, the Indiana Campus Compact awarded her with the Brian Hiltunen Award for the Outstanding Scholarship of Civic Engagement and in 2012, she received the Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.
ABBEY CHAMBERS
Abbey Chambers is a Ph.D. candidate in the American Studies program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). In 2006, she received her MA in Art History from Indiana University, Bloomington, where she studied late 19th-century American painting and visual culture. Her doctoral research uses visual culture theory and ethnographic methods to understand how economic development can be done in more equitable and inclusive ways based on how residents perceive development happening in their neighborhoods. Prior to joining the American Studies program, she worked for almost 10 years at Herron School of Art and Design, where she was an academic and career advisor and graduate program recruiter, and where she taught art history courses as an adjunct instructor.
