There are many reports on the history of Black Culture in Baltimore. All proclaim Pennsylvania Ave as the mecca and epicenter of Black culture, entertainment, and nightlife. As far back as 1885, Pennsylvania Ave was the home of black theaters, nightclubs, shops, medical facilities, education centers, a historic churches like Bethel AMEC and Union Baptist. From doctors to lawyers to people running numbers in the back alley, Pennsylvania Ave was where all black people felt welcomed and called home. This sense of unity was the result of segregation. Upton (Pennsylvania Ave district) was one of the fews places blacks were welcomed. Although there were a handful of black owned and operated businesses, blacks did not own most of the establishments they frequented. They were owned by Jewish, German, and Italian immigrants who populated the area before the migration of blacks.

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Pennsylvania Ave Mainstreet was Baltimore's Harlem Renaissance. There is much debate as to how the community turned into what it is today. Most attribute it to poverty, drugs, and crime. Historians ironically, attribute it to desegregation. Stating that once blacks were allowed to move into areas of their choice and support businesses throughout the City, the economic and social infrastructure of Pennsylvania Ave suffered.

Pennsylvania Ave hosted some of the greatest Blacks in our History. Can it be done again? Will it be done the right way?

Community Organizations such as Druid Heights CDC, Pennsylvania Ave Mainstreet, and Arch Social Club are working on redeveloping the area. They plan to build a community that will surpass what it once was, by encouraging ownership, education, and empowerment.

These organizations are not the only ones trying to revitalize the area. Former Mayor O'Malley started an initiative which awarded the area $750,000 to rebuild. BJEN, Jewish Community Group are also trying to rebuild the surrounding neighborhoods.

Many doubt if this can be done or if it is even the right way to recognize black culture in Baltimore.

What do you think??

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