Joseph T. Taylor - Contribution To The Flanner House

Contribution To The Flanner House

The Flanner House, a settlement house, founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1889 has served the community for more than 110 years. The Flanner House, formerly known as the Flanner Guild, obtained its new name in 1912 after a local mortician, Frank Flanner, who donated the first building. Joseph Taylor, in 1957, served as a social worker to the Flanner House at the request of the Executive Director, Dr. Cleo Blackburn. Taylor brought with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Their primary goal was to help minority people transitioning from post slavery, out of the South to the North. Many African-Americans transiting from the South, some with their families, started this journey challenged by their dreams found the Flanner House to be a stepping-stone on their quest.

The Flanner House, through its many programs, helped alleviate the stress of African Americans, the rural and migrant workers population moving to the urban North from Kentucky, Tennessee, and other southern states. Myron Richardson, the current Flanner House Executive Director says, "The institution developed self-help programs to respond to health, social, educational, and the economical needs of its clients. The overall objective was for its clients, to reach self-sufficiency. During the transition from the South to the North, the Flanner House worked with those who were past sharecroppers, unemployed, and displaced families living in deplorable housing conditions."

In the early 1950s the Flanner House received national acclaim for its "Sweat Equity" Housing Program. The Flanner House built more than 175 homes valued in excess of 2 million dollars. The owners in exchange for their down payment helped with the construction of their own homes and their neighbors. The sweat equity concepts of the Flanner House educated and created marketable skills by teaching its recipients canning, industrial laundry skills, domestic worker skills, and by providing the first of its kind, pre-school facility. While parents worked, the children who attended the nursery schools learned academic skills and received exposure to the arts. For example, young girls learned ballet. "Dr. Cleo Blackburn enlisted Dr. Joseph Taylor, a sociologist, to help him strengthen and develop programs making them relevant in their day," said Mr. Richardson. "Dr. Taylor because of his sociological background would have helped to revamp some of the programming into a sociological direction," continued Mr. Richardson.

Indianapolis was cold with segregation and there were few organizations set up to help African Americans in the 1950s. Segregation had many doors shut; however, Dr. Taylor's association with the Flanner House helped in confronting desegregation issues especially as it related to education and housing. His work with the Flanner House programs was a lifeline to many. "I was here in 1959, segregation problems of one kind or another plagued black people, but housing was poor…difficult" said Dr. Alan Bynum, a retired Dean of the University Division at Indiana University Purdue University at Indiana. "Those wanting to become homeowners faced hurdles, banks and lenders had a map of the city where mortgages were not to be sold to people of color," he continued. Dr Taylor asked Bynum to help with the commendable work of the Flanner House.

Among Dr. Taylor's many achievements, his major contributions to the Flanner House were as Fund Raiser and Program Developer. "He worked developing programs, weaving himself into the fibers of the community, making friendships, influencing people, agencies, and clients. Taylor was a brilliant sociologist." Dr. Bynum paused and continued, "I liked him a lot. He and I were friends. I would not be in this area, if it were not for him. Following the master, I looked at him as a mentor. I model a lot of what I did after him."

Today, Dr. Joseph Taylor's contributions are still at work. The Flanner House now has a state of the art learning center program, certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, with CDA teachers. It is fully licensed and State of Indiana approved. In 2002, the Flanner House Elementary School was one of the first four successful K-6th schools with its focus on academic excellence, character building, and values, including above average ISTEP scores. The 3rd and 6th grade students at FHES were the highest scoring in the state of Indiana for charter schools. SRA, a division of McGraw Hill, selected Flanner House Elementary School to pilot a math curriculum that will be modeled throughout the United States. The school motto is "We teach the 'whole child.' Our desire is that our children become 'masters of the universe.'" The Flanner House, now a United Way agency, houses the Center for Working Families, Children's Bureau, Marion County Public Library Branch, Indianapolis Metro Police Department, IPS Adult Basic Education and GED training program. These agencies mirror Dr. Taylor's work at Flanner House and his community involvement. His ability to communicate and network with many constituencies and interest groups helped him to build long lasting ties with the community.