How well do we know, and how well are we teaching, the history of our community? In Harlem, Renaissance Theater Is at the Crossroads of Demolition and Preservation (NY Times - 12/19/14) EXCERPT: Owned by William H. Roach, the Renaissance was a leading hot spot in Harlem and the city. Known as the Renny, it hosted Joe Louis fights. Big bands led by Cab Calloway, Count Basie and Duke Ellington performed on its stage. The Renaissance was also the home court, at a time when blacks were barred from the National Basketball Association, for the Black Fives basketball team known as the Harlem Rens, regarded as one of the best of its time. The adjacent 900-seat theater featured movies by Oscar Micheaux, the first African-American to produce a feature-length film. The casino was used for a 1923 anti-lynching meeting held by the N.A.A.C.P. In 1953, David N. Dinkins, who went on to become the city’s first black mayor, and his bride held their wedding reception there. The Renaissance started to taper in the 1960s as integration opened downtown clubs to blacks. It closed in 1979. [Click below to read the full article.]
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:48:38 +0000
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