More Than a Museum: Poindexter Village & The Soul of Black Columbus

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt came to Columbus to dedicate Poindexter Village, one of America’s first public housing communities. Built in an era of segregation, the Near East Side development became something remarkable: a thriving center of Black family life, culture, creativity, and community. Generations of residents built lives there, including celebrated artist Aminah Robinson, and helped shape the Columbus we know today.

But as neighborhoods changed and decades of disinvestment took their toll, Poindexter Village faced demolition. Of its original 35 buildings, only two remain. Now, thanks to years of grassroots advocacy and historic preservation efforts, those buildings are becoming the Poindexter Village African American Museum, a new cultural landmark expected to open in 2028.

CMC explores the extraordinary story of Poindexter Village and what it reveals about the past, present, and future of Black Columbus. What made this community so special? How did housing policies, urban renewal, and highway construction reshape the city’s historically Black neighborhoods? What happens when the places that hold a community’s memories disappear? And how can preserving history help us build a more inclusive future?

Featuring Shelbi Toone, Project Director, Poindexter Village African American Museum, Ohio History Connection with moderator and additional panelists to be announced.