A City Within A City: Little Rock’s West Ninth Street Business District
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Red’s Pool Hall and the Gem Theater were located in the 700 block of West Ninth Street.
Courtesy of the Arkansas History Commission (0949.3)
With the advent of legalized segregation, black business districts emerged throughout the South as a necessary response. In Memphis, it was Beale Street. In Tulsa, it was Greenwood. In Little Rock, it was West Ninth Street. This exhibit highlights the growth of the West Ninth Street Business District and incorporates oral history interviews from business owners, patrons, and citizen of Little Rock. The exhibit also features an interactive that shows the transition of 24 locations from vacant lots to business hot spots.