Jaauary
hae 21
ato e join ef or c
'Blae B.road ay'-
Larry A. SUlI
NNP.A Correspondent
W ASHINGI'O ,DC - Legen
dary performer, civil rights sup
porter and anti-apartheid
activist Harry Beiafonte took
time out from his recent Ken
nedy Center award presenta
tion to join in observing the
proposed cultural renaissance'
of "U Street, once the great,
Bl ck Broadway of the nation's
capital with its grand theaters,
restaurants, nightclubs and
profe ional offices.
Before being honored at a
black-tie; symphony or
che trated ceremony in
Washington' elegant, Potomac
Riverfront concert hall,
Belafonte topped a the now
b ttle-scarred, inner-city Lin
coln Theater to urge its restora
tion "as a renewed outlet for the
cultural expression of the Black
community" it once served.
In expressing his interest in
the project, the famed, intema
tion I tage, radio, television
and movie balladeer tated tlt
would not only be rewarding for
the Black community, but I
kno it ould be rewarding for
all of the people of our
country ... many of us who are in
volved in v rious theatrical
enterpris w uld elcom th
opportunity to mean alli nee
with the Lincoln.
• Accordin to Fran Cohen,
president of the newly or
ganized Lincoln Theater Foun
d t ion, the site will be a
multi-cultural place for
Afric n-American, Am rican
Indian and A ian culture .
Upcoming Even
Continued from P
/
USEU S
- MOTOWN - 2648 W. Grand
Blvd .• Detroit. 867..()()91.
-GRAYST E JAZZ. - 3000
E. Grand Blvd •• Detroit. 871-
0234.
- YOUR HERfT AGE HOUSE-
110 E. Ferry. Detroit. 871-1667.
-AFRICAN ERICAN HIS-
TORY - 301 Frederick
Douglas • Detroit. 833-9800;
- ATJONAL AFRICAN
ERiCAN SPORTS HAlL OF
F E Open Monday-Friday. 9
o 5 on th 4 Roor. W yne
County Bldg. 600 Randolph.
Detro't,
GAllER S
- FRONT ROOM GALLERY -
41 E. Adam • Detroit.
-.sHERRY WASHI GTON
GAUERY - Cen •
Detroit. 5S5-B SH.
S nd all announcement
d inform ticn to:
L EY
P.O. 03S60
12541 Second
Ha,,*.:t PaItc. 48203
13)"0033.
Her husband, banker
developer Jeff Cohen, bought
the historic, 1,800 seat movie
house-entertainment cener in
1982 as a part of an expansive
redevelopment plan for the
deteriorating Shaw area.
Gentrification'is slowly taking
place as upscale, middle in
come white residents gradually
replace the predominantly low
income Black tenant in the
urba� renewal district near
downtown despite efforts to
maintain Blac operated in
stitutions.
Once considered the busi
ness and "entertainment sho -
case of Washington's rigidly
segregated Blac community
before World War II, the 20
bloc , uptown U Street cor
ridor began its' decline when
patrons began rushing
downtown after the 1950s
desegregation decisions. The
deterioration accelerated
during the 1960 civil disturban-
res.
The Wreckage of the former
middle-class, Blac residential
area surrounding Howard
University was completed with
the construction of an under
ground, rapid transit system
through the center of the com
munity in a long-range plan to
re-route transportation from
the suburbs through the city as
fast as possible.
Said Delano E. Lewis, new,
Blac executive of the influen
tial D.C. Board of Trade: W;
are witnessing the econorr.ic
revitalization and the cultural
renaissance of one of the
AFRICA •
A ERIC HISTORY
THIS WEEK
14 William T. Coleman
named secretary of
De part ment of
Tranportation, 1975.
15 MartinLutherKing
Day
16 ASA named
onauts Maj. Frederick
D. Gregory, Maj. Guion S.
Bluford, and Dr. Ronald
E. Mc air for space mis-
'on, 1978.
17 John �. Burge
became bi hop of the
Protestant Episcopal
Diocese of Mas-
chusetts, 1970.
18 Congressman Wil
liam L. Dawson, elected
chairman of Hou c Ex
penditure Committee,
19 9.
19 John H. Johnson,
publisher, editor, born
1918.
20 Sar W. Fabio,
, hom 1928.
•
evrve
"Chili nd Blues" fe tival
featuring '1Jen's Chili Bowl, a
popular, after he ter res
taurant continuing to operate
neu door to the Lincoln for
over 50 years. ow, a fas -food
.restaurant, chiefly, it' till fre
quented by local, national and
international celebrities such
Belafonte and television star
Bill Cosby when they are visiting
the city.
Meanwhile, bac at the Ken
nedy Center across town,
Belafonte was pre ented with
the center's coveted 'Medallion
along with Broadway and Hol
lywood stars Mary Martin Wal
ter Schumann and Claudette
Colbert.
nation's historic Black business
and cultural districts. With the
support of the entire
Wa hington community, a
landmark institution will be
returned to operation, further
enhancing the dignity and pride
of the Shaw community.·
Lewis is vice-president of the
Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Co. and chairman of
the board of the Lincoln
Theater Foundation.
The cultural renaissance
weekend affairs just before
Christmas included a series of
jazz and gospel concerts
reminiscent of events presented
during the theater's heyday and
a formal danee staged at the
Lincoln Theater-Colonnade
ballroom site which is still un
dergoing reconstruction.
. Another colorful event was a