Black Broadway in Washington, DC

by Briana A. Thomas

Before chain coffeeshops and luxury high-rises, before even the beginning of desegregation and the 1968 riots, Washington's Greater U Street was known as Black Broadway. From the early 1900s into the 1950s, African Americans plagued by Jim Crow laws in other parts of town were free to own businesses here and built what was often described as a "city within a city." Local author and journalist Briana A. Thomas narrates U Street's rich and unique history, from the early triumph of emancipation to the days of civil rights pioneer Mary Church Terrell and music giant Duke Ellington, through the recent struggles of gentrification.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2021

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tells the history of one of my favorite parts of DC: U Street/Cordozza/Shaw. Wonderfully written. I learned a lot about the area... beyond the area being Black Broadway. A must read!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An introduction to DC's storied and historic U Street Community. Complete with pictures and maps. An introduction to "Black Broadway," kin to Harlem's Renaissance. Looking forward to interviewing the author. I'd really love her to expand this into a larger book, and I'm curious if she's got plans to do so or what she's up to since writing this. Five stars because I want to jump on Metro and go explore ASAP.