Knoxville’s Black Business District: History Once A Reality

It’s been a long time coming since we have seen black owned businesses in the heart of Knoxville’s downtown district. As Gay Street and surrounding avenues continue to build new establishments, black commerce has long since dwindled.

Once upon a time, the heart of the Old City was home to many black entrepreneurs. In an era where segregation was still the reality in the South, African-American business owners were opening up shop on Jackson Avenue and nearby streets which are now part of the Old City.

Many residents of Knoxville and across the nation are unaware of the thriving economy black people once experienced during segregation. Communities such as Tulsa Oklahoma, Seneca Village (which was destroyed to form Central Park in New York City) and even Knoxville all included black homes and establishments which were ravaged due to race rioting or as a result of gentrification and urban renewal.

The Bowery district in the early 1900’s which is now known as part of the Old City, was once one of the most active sections of downtown, and also one of the few areas where black people could open up businesses alongside whites.

This area was also riddled with saloons, whorehouses, gambling dens, and cocaine parlors. Shootouts and bar fights were also not uncommon. By today’s standards some might describe such an area as the “ghetto”. But compared to the reality of black commerce today in the area, it was thriving.