Indiana Avenue’s Black Christmas Party

On December 19, 1970, the Indianapolis affiliate of the Southern Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket held a “Black Christmas Parade” on Indiana Avenue. The parade featured marching bands, floats, and local celebrities. The grand marshal of the parade was the Soul Saint, an Afrocentric version of Santa Claus. The “Black Christmas Parade” was part of a full day of events that also included a keynote speech by Reverend Jesse Jackson. The day ended with a “Black Christmas Party” at Foster’s Motor Lodge, featuring some of the greatest funk and soul bands in Indianapolis, including the Highlighters, the Moonlighters, the Turner Brothers, Indy 5, the Perfections, and others. The purpose of the “Black Christmas Parade” went beyond spreading holiday cheer. A spokesperson for Operation Breadbasket said the parade was created to raise awareness of the services and products available through local Black business owners and to develop a sense of Black pride within the Indianapolis community. Listen to a tribute to the “Black Christmas Parade,” featuring an hour of music from Indianapolis funk bands that performed at the event.