Stanley Strader Park naming honors southeast side advocate who lifted his community

Stanley Strader was all about service.

He served in two branches of the U.S. military.

He had a career focused on serving youth, founding or advancing many community organizations.

He served as a city-county councilor, representing his southeast side community.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024, Indianapolis celebrated Strader's life and contributions by officially naming a newly renovated park after him.

The Indy Parks and Recreation Board authorized the name change of the former Bethel Park last year to honor Strader, a former City-County councilor.

On Monday, Mayor Joe Hogsett presented a proclamation designating Jan. 15, 2024, as Stanley Strader Park Day in the city of Indianapolis. 

Who was Stanley Strader?

A lifelong resident of the southeast side, Stanley P. Strader was born in 1939. 

At 17, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. After that, he served in the Air Force.

He studied urban affairs at Lane College and worked at Indianapolis Public Schools in the Human Resources Department, and at Camp Atterbury as the recreation program director.

In 1969, Strader began working with the Community Action Against Poverty and the United Southside Community Organization. He founded the nonprofit organization Watoto-Wa-Simba (The Young Lions) Inc. in 1971, initially with a youth advocacy focus, but going on to serve senior citizens as well.

He was elected to the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council in 1980, delivering city funding for improvements to Bethel Park, the restoration of the fountains in Fountain Square, and the Bean Creek drainage project. 

He started after-school programs and raised money to take busloads of youths on field trips and to amusement parks out of state.

“Stan was a visionary,” said his brother, Kenneth Strader. “Job well done, big brother. I love you, man.”

What else is new at the former Bethel Park?

Citizens Energy Group and its more than 30 partners contributed about $300,000 in money and in-kind donations to make improvements to the park at 2850 Bethel Ave., including the family center and football field.

“We hope that our time spent painting, fixing, and upgrading facilities and equipment here at Stanley Strader Park means that staff, neighbors, and visitors alike will enjoy safer, cleaner, and more efficient and comfortable spaces for community events and recreation,” said Jeffrey Harrison, president and CEO of Citizens. “Parks across Indianapolis are the sites of such sweeping family and significant community conversations.”

The city and other entities also have contributed for a combined investment of more than $1 million, Hogsett said. The $796,000 football field renovation is scheduled to be completed this summer.

South side champion

Strader was all about bringing resources to the community.

“I can't tell you how much love is still out on the southeast for the work that Stanley Strader has done,” Terry Gingles Sr. told the city parks and recreation board at the 2023 meeting in which the name change was approved. “What Stanley did was bring attention to the needs of the south side. Before Stanley we didn't have a voice. But after Stanley stood up and started working in the community, things began to change.”

“And when he stood up to be an advocate for the people on the south side, he got support from about 40 Black men. I'm not talking about people who were well known. They were just everyday people. And it still serves as an inspiration to us all and to continue that work that he's done.”

Donnetta Strader, who works in special education at Arsenal Tech High School, told the board Stanley Strader positively impacted her life even before he became her brother-in-law. He brought resources to the community that she and her children used, including sickle cell anemia testing at the clinic he helped to start and dances the children attended at the Bethel community center.

“I can’t begin to tell you how the roots that Stanley planted on the south side have influenced my family,” she said. “I even learned how to split my vote, and I’d been voting for years.”

Stanley Strader, who died in 2020, was the only Republican candidate elected to represent an inner-city district, the Indianapolis Recorder reported in 1987. His constituency was 70% Democrat.

“Stanley was love,” said Jesse Bingham, pastor at Our Hope Community Church, 835 St. Paul St. “On the south side we have a really rich history. We always ride for each other. We always supplied for each other. We've always been there to pick each other up. We were, and we are still, our own community. We don't necessarily wait for outsiders to come to do a lot for us. But we take care and look after ourselves. And Stanley embodied all of this.”

“Stanley was  just instrumental in the community with the clinic and the men's assembly and also he helped a lot of people get jobs.  When some other people weren't hiring some of us, Stanley would step in and do what he does.”

Former councilor and parks committee chair William “Duke” Oliver was one of the forces behind the park-naming honor.

“The image of this person is one that many will point to and say that's the kind of person we want our sons to grow up to be, “ he told the board.

In addition to Stanley Strader’s wife, Diana Strader, other presenters Monday included City-County Councilor Frank Mascari.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita was among those in the audience to help celebrate Strader on the King holiday.

“I thought even though my staff and I had been celebrating at different events last week and into the weekend, we had to do something on the day itself,” Rokita said. “I just want to come and have my own private celebration and remembrance of a great man who reached across all the aisles and included everybody. And I wanted to remember him in my own way. And this event allowed me to do it.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.