Busboys and Poets

The U Street Corridor has long been a center of DC's cultural and activist scene with places like the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bens Chili Bowl, Bohemian Caverns and other historic clubs and venues serving as the hub for politics and artistry. Until the 1920's (when it was overtaken by Harlem), the U Street area was home to the largest urban African American community in the United States. In its cultural heyday, the U Street corridor was known as "Black Broadway", a phrase coined by jazz singer Pearl Bailey. In 1968, the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr sparked rioting across many American cities. In Washington DC, the chaos began on the corner of 14th & U streets - as people smashed store windows, set buildings aflame and looted in outrage.