Join Us For the 2024 MLS All-Star Hometown Heroes Showcase
Major League Soccer and Black Players for Change invite you to join us for the
2024 MLS All-Star Hometown Heroes Showcase presented by RBC Wealth Management. This is a celebration of innovative non-profit organizations and leaders committed to serving the Columbus community. Learn more at MLSHometownHeroes.com
Date: Tuesday, July 23rd | Time: 11:00-1:00 PM
Location: The Lincoln Theatre, 769 E Long St., Columbus, OH 43203
Event Details:
10:30 AM: Doors Open
11:00 AM: Program to begin
12:30 PM: Networking Lunch
Hosted at Columbus’ Historic Lincoln Theatre
First opened in 1928, the Lincoln Theatre is a landmark in African-American and jazz history.
A COMMUNITY THEATRE FOR THE KING-LINCOLN DISTRICT
In the 1930s and ‘40s, downtown Columbus’ near east side was home to an affluent African-American business and entertainment district, known today as the King-Lincoln District. At the time, segregation actually fueled the commercial and cultural development of the area, as African-American consumers could only patronize the African-American businesses in the neighborhood. As a result, a thriving, self-sufficient community developed which celebrated its cultural heritage and created its own opportunity.
James Albert “Al” Jackson, a very successful African-American real estate owner and entrepreneur, and his partner James “Ernie” Williams built, owned, and operated the District’s Empress Theatre, the Empress Soda Grill, and the Crystal Slipper Ballroom. According to oral history, Jackson was angered by the purchase of the nearby Vernon Theatre by a white-owned theatre chain with a “No Admission to Negroes” policy, and decided to build a grand and beautiful theatre especially for Columbus’ African-American population.
