Something that I find interesting in all of this discussion about urban renewal is the history behind the areas that are being renewed. I was listening to an interview on the Breakfast club a few months back when they had the esteemed Dr. Claude Anderson as a guest;
and he bought up a interesting fact that was never really talked about. Due to segregation taking place for most of the last century blacks being really the only numerical "minority" in America had to have our own everything. That naturally created a form of nepotism among the black community that is needed to sustain a thriving economy in such a racially hostile environment. That therefore meant that cities such as mine (Louisville for example) had our own thriving black business districts. What is troubling however is that I'm almost 30, and I'm just now finding out about the "black walnut street" district that housed hundreds of black owned businesses, and served as the hub for black social-economics in Kentucky;
"If you are a Louisville local, you may have heard of the old Walnut Street business district (now Muhammad Ali Boulevard). West Walnut Street from 6th to 13th Streets was a business, social, and cultural gathering place for African Americans. Beginning in the late 1800’s, the first African American businesses started to form on and around Walnut Street, and it grew to include over 150 businesses. The area served a vital need during segregation, and thrived especially from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Although this area was demolished during urban renewal, it holds a special place in the hearts and memories of many African Americans in the Louisville community. I personally remember my great grandmother making references to restaurants, nightclubs, and other businesses on Walnut Street when I was a kid."
“Old Walnut Street” & African American Businesses
By Latisha Reynolds If you are a Louisville local, you may have heard of the old Walnut Street business district (now Muhammad Ali Boulevard). West Walnut Street from 6th to 13th Streets was a busi…
uofllibraries.wordpress.com
Once a booming strip of black business, Walnut Street faded from Louisville's memory for failed Urban Renewal
This is where black leaders like MLK, black artist and musicians would come and enjoy their time when they came to visit the city. This black business district like every other one throughout the United States was systematically destroyed through the program of "urban renewal", which many at the time (including white Louisville politicians) "Negro Removal". As the video shows it was destroyed building by building around the 1950's (black wealth has NEVER reached the level that it was at in the 1950's) and the city replaced the black businesses with public housing which eventually turned into a ghetto slum that defines the black side of town ever since. In many cities the white politicians would deliberately build interstates right through the thriving black businesses. For example Detroit's famous Hasting Street was a frontier for black businesses;
This history and legacy of widespread entrepreneurship and relative social-economic success in the black community is hidden from history books, and ignorance of these successful black communities creates negative attitudes about the situation for blacks AND non blacks. This part of our history from my almost 30 year old mind was the "bad time" in history just based on what they incorrectly taught us in grade school. In grade school blacks are taught that our salvation came from integration, and as Dr. Claude Anderson and many many other scholars have pointed out integration was the worst thing to happen to blacks since prior to 1865. These black business districts were our "China towns", "Greek towns", "little Italy's" if you will. For some reason however the black business districts were not and are not permitted to exist unlike the others.Their presence represented economic sovereignty to a degree, that many people will pat immigrants on the back for doing while ignoring that when foundational black Americans obtained social economic success (on a massive scale at that) prior to large scale non white immigration, but it was essentially treated as terrorism by the US government. The story of the bombing of Black Wallstreet in the same era in Tulsa, OK is one of the most notorious yet hidden stories in American history;
and he bought up a interesting fact that was never really talked about. Due to segregation taking place for most of the last century blacks being really the only numerical "minority" in America had to have our own everything. That naturally created a form of nepotism among the black community that is needed to sustain a thriving economy in such a racially hostile environment. That therefore meant that cities such as mine (Louisville for example) had our own thriving black business districts. What is troubling however is that I'm almost 30, and I'm just now finding out about the "black walnut street" district that housed hundreds of black owned businesses, and served as the hub for black social-economics in Kentucky;
"If you are a Louisville local, you may have heard of the old Walnut Street business district (now Muhammad Ali Boulevard). West Walnut Street from 6th to 13th Streets was a business, social, and cultural gathering place for African Americans. Beginning in the late 1800’s, the first African American businesses started to form on and around Walnut Street, and it grew to include over 150 businesses. The area served a vital need during segregation, and thrived especially from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Although this area was demolished during urban renewal, it holds a special place in the hearts and memories of many African Americans in the Louisville community. I personally remember my great grandmother making references to restaurants, nightclubs, and other businesses on Walnut Street when I was a kid."
“Old Walnut Street” & African American Businesses
By Latisha Reynolds If you are a Louisville local, you may have heard of the old Walnut Street business district (now Muhammad Ali Boulevard). West Walnut Street from 6th to 13th Streets was a busi…
This is where black leaders like MLK, black artist and musicians would come and enjoy their time when they came to visit the city. This black business district like every other one throughout the United States was systematically destroyed through the program of "urban renewal", which many at the time (including white Louisville politicians) "Negro Removal". As the video shows it was destroyed building by building around the 1950's (black wealth has NEVER reached the level that it was at in the 1950's) and the city replaced the black businesses with public housing which eventually turned into a ghetto slum that defines the black side of town ever since. In many cities the white politicians would deliberately build interstates right through the thriving black businesses. For example Detroit's famous Hasting Street was a frontier for black businesses;
This history and legacy of widespread entrepreneurship and relative social-economic success in the black community is hidden from history books, and ignorance of these successful black communities creates negative attitudes about the situation for blacks AND non blacks. This part of our history from my almost 30 year old mind was the "bad time" in history just based on what they incorrectly taught us in grade school. In grade school blacks are taught that our salvation came from integration, and as Dr. Claude Anderson and many many other scholars have pointed out integration was the worst thing to happen to blacks since prior to 1865. These black business districts were our "China towns", "Greek towns", "little Italy's" if you will. For some reason however the black business districts were not and are not permitted to exist unlike the others.Their presence represented economic sovereignty to a degree, that many people will pat immigrants on the back for doing while ignoring that when foundational black Americans obtained social economic success (on a massive scale at that) prior to large scale non white immigration, but it was essentially treated as terrorism by the US government. The story of the bombing of Black Wallstreet in the same era in Tulsa, OK is one of the most notorious yet hidden stories in American history;
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