Columbus Neighborhoods: King-Lincoln

At its height in the 1930s, hundreds of people filled the bustling streets of The King-Lincoln District. The nation's top musicians played its many theaters and clubs. African Americans of all walks of life lived and shopped here. Its two fabled streets, Mt. Vernon Avenue and Long Street, anchored the neighborhood that became the commercial and cultural heart of Columbus's African-American community.

Columbus Neighborhoods: King Lincoln shows how this thriving neighborhood developed on land once used by Buffalo Bill when he brought his wild west show to Columbus. Because Columbus was practically--if not officially--segregated, a self-contained and self-reliant African American community developed and flourished on the city's Near East side. The documentary explores the area's rich and vibrant music heritage and includes features on Elijah Pierce, Aminah Robinson, Roman Johnson, and other artists. The program also explores the neighborhood's demise as the interstate separated it from the rest of the city and shows how the renovation of The Lincoln Theatre may be a sign of the community's rebirth.

[swone]

I grew up on Long beautiful black community memories! 🥲

[christopherlewis]

I love the city, and I love history. We need to preserve the heritage.

[kaev]

I "LOVE MY COMMUNITY", I am humbled to have worked with and personally know many of the people featured in this presentation.

[CakeCaprice]

Awesome documentary!!! I'm a young african american residing in the neighborhood, and it was great to see how rich and cultured the community once was.. I'm so sad to see all the young foolishness that carries on everyday... We need a better sense of self, to better our community.

[residuerude]

being from mt.vernon makes me so proud and happy It Help Make Me Who I Am

[bruceferguson]

One evening back around 1962, my dad took me to the Lincoln Theatre to see the old movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, with Clark Gable. I think he saw it as a kid and wanted me to see it, too. I was only eight years old, but I remember observing that the neighborhood seemed to have no life to it. It was just dark and quiet, no neon lights or sounds. It's easy to see that some of the problem was the huge amounts of real estate lost to the development of the I-70 and I-71 corridors through neighborhoods in the 1950's. Whole residential blocks were razed, displacing many people. The side streets that went into the near East side from downtown were cut off by I-71.

[suchaneffnlady]

My cousins called me  to tell me that our relatives were shown in this documentary.  They built a lot of the structures on Mt. Vernon and my own mother was born on the corner of Champion and Mt. Vernon....I remember Spicers....

[alicephillips]

I feel as if I was born a generation too late, , all that wonderful music and especially the jazz. So much talent that has not come about again. Nancy Wilson was from Chillicothe so it was easy for her to sing in Columbus. They all were hard working with pride in themselves nd their neighborhood, what happened?

[drkyone]

This is one of my favorite shows. I know my grgrandparents came from Georgia. My Great Grandfather who came was a brick mason and also worked for the railroad. My uncle Jimmy had a record shop I think it was on long St.

[yanisheng]

It is so amazing to see these community that made Columbus Ohio! I am researching for inspiration of Columbuses reach history!!! Thank you WOSU!

[neosoul]

I’m so excited to learn more about Columbus I love learning about history. I relocated from Color town and now I’m Columbus bound.

[Frankie]

I love this documentary, it shows the history and potential of a great neighborhood.

[briannawilliams]

Oh it was wonderful watching this I love the history of our African American parts of the city I just took in so much !!!

[edhammond]

I think the war on poverty, busing, broken homes, hurt us much more than it helped us.God, hard work and family worked really well in the 1940s and 1950s. Where are the fathers of our children?

[delenegillen]

This is very well done. Great neighborhood and great people!

[sis.jacqui]

Very powerful...My Grandfather made the very first double neck guitar...he is seen in the beginning of this film. My Grandmother is seen as well. So much more is not listed here....

[kaioniajones]

i am doing my english project on the bronzeville area, it has a lot of rich history but it is sad to see how it declined
i lived on garfield and i would see the plagues and read them but the history is so much more rich

[activistarts]

Urban Spirit is gone and now a developer office. The city is giving away its soul to developers.

[drkyx]

My uncle Jimmy had a record shop on Long st.

[pauljtonehead]

The nicest people in the world are in Columbus Ohio! Even after chaos.