The Atlanta Business League (ABL) kicked off the first phase of the renovation project of the Ashby Street Theater with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
ABL members, community leaders and neighbors gathered at its Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive office to celebrate the redevelopment of a neighborhood landmark almost 25 years in the making.
The 300-seat venue opened during the Jim Crow Era and was only one of the few first to serve Atlanta’s African American community. ABL officials said the theater will be renovated to become a key element in the West End area.
“In the 1920s to 1940s, the Ashby Street Theater was originally established when segregation was prevalent and African Americans were often excluded from mainstream entertainment venues,” said Leona Barr-Davenport, President and CEO of the ABL. “As a result, theaters like Ashby Street became vital cultural hubs for Black communities, showcasing live performances and other forms of entertainment that cater to African Americans.”
Earlier this year, the National Park Service awarded $23.4 million to 39 historic projects in 16 states and the District of Columbia as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s African American Civil Rights grant program.
The ABL received its second $750,000 grant from the program this year, totaling $1.5 million, supporting its ongoing efforts to preserve and promote African American history, culture, and civil rights heritage in Atlanta.
“We had the opportunity to really come together as a community and it only took about 25 years for us to get this moment,” Wilson said.
During his remarks, Wilson introduced the development team spearheading the project, saying it takes a lot of work to get to this imagination phase and, one day, have it be a destination on the U.S. Civil Rights Heritage Trail.
“We are truly standing on the shoulders of some giants in this city that believe something very fundamental, that is something that I believe we all share that streets like this, where businesses like ours have been and where we have lived for a while, should be places that we can come to and experience all of that the city has to offer,” Wilson said.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the theater played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. It not only served as an entertainment venue but also as a gathering place for activists and community leaders like King, Joseph Lowery, and Ralph David Aberthany to plan upcoming rallies, marches and sit-ins.
Davenport gave a short story of former ABL Chairman and foundering member of the Peachtree Providence Partners, Milton Jones, as a boy when he would have to take segregated “coloreds only” entrances at the Fox and Rialto Theaters, he made the decision to never go through those doors again.
“Leona’s right,” Jones said. “I have some interesting memories of growing up in the city, but it’s more than just the memory of Ashby. It’s the memory of the Jason Milton drugstore. It’s the memory of the Huey Williams Realty up the street. It’s a memory of Busy Bee, which still exists today. It’s a memory of the whole of Pascal’s complex, which sets records in terms of activity.”
Wilson said that the Ashby Street Theater will once again be a space where stories are told, businesses flourish, and the community comes together to celebrate solidarity. He invited guests to help the ABL continue its journey as it works to create opportunities and foster growth within the area.
“We are going to build a business resource center, making sure that the information, the resources that people need daily, have a physical place to come,” Wilson said. “We’ll have a podcast studio and make sure that everything is about content to make sure that the information that’s being discussed here is going to be shared all over the world.”
He added that the theater is more than just a building; it’s a symbol of the community’s rich cultural heritage, resilience and shared history where Atlantans can come together to honor the legacy that affirms the importance of preserving and celebrating its past while looking forward to a bright and vibrant future.
Wilson and Jones emphasized the importance of funding for the restoration project.
“We need your money. We need your time, your talent and your treasury — especially your treasury,” Jones said. “Spread the word. Great things have started happening and will keep happening on the Heritage Trail on Martin Luther King Drive where all of us can be a part of it in large and small parts. Let’s spread the word and make it happen.”
The ABL has sponsorship opportunities for the Ashby Street Theater renovation project.
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