Washington DC's U Street - African American history vs gentrification
Most people think of Washington DC as the home of the United States Government. There is more to the city than that. For many decades it was one of the centers of African American culture. U Street was the heart of that community in the capital. U Street row houses The U Street neighborhood was the largest African American community from the 1860’s through the 1920’s. Its mostly Victorian-era row houses were home to many of the people who filled the service jobs that made sure that government functioned smoothly. It was also home to hundreds of black-owned businesses, including The Industrial Bank, the cities largest African-American owned bank, whose building, designed by Isaish T. Hatton , still stands today. Pearl Baily christened the area “The Black Broadway,” due to its numerous theaters and clubs. All of the big names in jazz, from Cab Calloway to Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, performed on U Street. At the east end of the strip is the Howard Theate...
