Black Broadway on U

Remembering U Street | Black Broadway: Where D.C.'s Cultural Renaissance Was Born
DISCOVER THE HISTORY: www.blackbroadwayonu.com

Before the Harlem Renaissance, there was the D.C. Renaissance, taking place along the U Street/Shaw community corridor -- what became known as the "Black Broadway" (a moniker coined by the late black entertainer Pearl Bailey who launched her career here.). From the early 1900s to late 1950s, this culturally vibrant community in Washington, DC was America's "Black Mecca" where businesses were black owned and run; its buildings, built and financed by blacks; its entertainment, by and for blacks -- thrived in our nation's capital despite the oppressive Jim Crow laws of that time.

The premise of the Black Broadway on U Project is to focus on the intellectual, social and cultural context of Washington, DC’s storied black U Street/Black Broadway community once known as a "city within a city" from the early 20th century in a way that  elevates its blackness, power, resiliency, wealth, and agency. At the intersection of black cultural storytelling techniques and immersive technology, the Black Broadway on U Project chronicles, examines and preserves this important, poignant, and nearly forgotten African American chapter in the history of jazz, culture, business, politics, intellect, entertainment and the arts.

Through the use of VR/AR experiences, 360 video, mobile app,  interactive and social media content, educational tools, mapping, photos, pop-up exhibits, long form and short  films, oral histories, and website aka “living, digital history" platform; the project connects local and greater audiences to this inspiring yet under-told, American historical chapter -- one that we will not let fade away.

The project's mission is to serve as a living, digital community-based archives that fosters greater understanding of our own knowledge of the significance DC's Black Broadway/U Street era as well as amplifies the importance of preserving our history and cultural legacy amid the city's rapid gentrification, which points the way to our future.

Shellée M. Haynesworth, an award-winning multimedia producer/writer is the Executive Producer/Creator. She is very passionate about preserving the story of DC's U Street/Black Broadway, a community that was once a prominent crossroad for African Americans. 

PRESS |
Nat'l Trust for Historic Preservation Saving Places, “Who Tells Your Story: U Street’s African-American Legacy in D.C.", CLICK HERE