Las Vegas a city with a long history of segregation, yet that didnt stop black entertainers from performing there in front of segregated aundiences in hotels and restaurants they couldnt even go to. But they supposedly represented progress..... EMPTY progress. Quote: The Westside These 15,000 African Americans, 10 percent of the citys general population, were forced to live in a segregated section of the city called the Westside. The area, once J.T. McWilliams original Las Vegas Townsite, lay behind a cement curtain barrier across the railroad tracks from Fremont Street. In the late 1950s, the conditions in the town hadnt changed much since McWilliams time, and the ten square block area stood in stark contrast to the glamorous resorts of the Strip. The Westside had neither running water, nor working sewage lines, nor paved streets. For all that, it was its own town with its own churches and schools, a middle-class community where people took care of each other and lived well because of the wages paid on the Strip. Limited Access African Americans were not allowed to own or sell businesses or houses beyond the Westside. They worked in most of the back-of-the-house jobs in the casinos and downtown Las Vegas resorts, the jobs that kept Las Vegas running but that called for little-to-no contact with customers and guests. Still, in other parts of the U.S. even these jobs were denied to African Americans. But that was as much as Las Vegas allowed -- African Americans were not permitted to take part in many of the pleasures the town had to offer. Just like in most places in the U.S., resort casinos barred African Americans from gambling, attending shows and staying in their establishments.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 11:20:44 +0000
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