First Black Indianapolis City Council Member

Robert Bruce Bagby (3 Sept 1846 – 23 Jan 1903). Born in Virginia, Bagby served in the Civil War as a member of the US Colored Troops (USCT). He and two of his brothers all served as school principals in Indianapolis, and together, they also started a newspaper (The Leader) in 1879. He graduated from Columbia Law School in Washington, D.C. and was a practicing attorney. In 1877, he became the first African American elected to the Indianapolis city council and served in the Federal Treasury Department.

He is buried with his family in Section 27, Lot 143 (39.817654, -86.1697381), but their graves are unmarked.

Started by the Bagby brothers, the Indianapolis Leader was the first Black newspaper in Indianapolis (1879-1890). Courtesy Newspapers.com.
Robert Bruce Bagby’s obituary. Courtesy Newspapers.com.