The Mission

Every young African American businessperson in Baltimore city today is familiar with Pennsylvania Ave, and what some would call “The Mecca of Entertainment” meant to Baltimore’s black residents in the first half of the 20^th century. Time and time again I hear stories about the jet setters and black socialites who flooded the Ave. People like Billie Holiday, Red Fox, and Duke Ellington loved to perform in front of sold out crowds, party the night away, and sometimes-even lodge with popular Baltimoreans. The Avenue also was the place for African Americans to enjoy live theater and patronize a long line of African American owned businesses. Often people who frequented the Ave in its hey day compare me and my business partners to the men who flourished in that era, which brings me to my question and the topic of this study. What happened?

What happened to Pennsylvania Ave, its legacy, and the tradition of strong black businesses in predominantly black communities? None of these business traditions were passed down to my generation or remain prevalent in the African American community today. When I owned a liquor store, I learned to maximize my profit potential from some Korean friends that use to live in my neighborhood and most of my real estate teachings came from a Jewish guy that once owned half of Old Town Mall and a Irish contractor from Highland town. Which basically means the innovators of that Pennsylvania Ave era left us young black businessmen in Baltimore to fend for ourselves. And I am here to figure out how and way this occurred and what key indicators caused this massive downfall.

To answer this question and many more I will attempt to discover the origins of Pennsylvania Ave and how it evolved to be the center of black business and entertainment followed by the events leading up to its glory years which even still are widely celebrated today. I will finish the study with the events leading up to its demise and its current state today while answering my question in the process.

To successfully complete this mission I will only use primary sources including live interviews, oral histories, news articles, and real images from that era. I will complete this study with the utmost integrity all while paying respect to all of the residents and business owners who celebrate this magnificent era and remembering the sacrifices of those brave African Americans who attempted to challenge the norm by succeeding in business.