A community where black businesses flourished, the Tybee neighboorhood in south Macon was thriving in the 1950’s before it revitilization period about a decade later.
The block was upbeat, self- sufficient and prosperous in functionality.
There were black- owned dealerships, restaurants and it wouldn’t be unususal to see people selling flowers outside as locals frequented the areas.
“We didn’t understand segregation,” said Leroy Thomas,71, as he recalled growing up on Sixth Street Lane in south Macon. “I was born in 1944, so I was born into a segregated society, so I had never heard the word integration — so I didn’t have anything to compare that with — so this was the life.”
The Roxy Theatre was a significant part of the Tybee neighborhood.
Built around 1951, the theatre served as a place for dj’s, youth and entertainers to gather.
Smith was just starting school at Ballard Hudson Junior High School at the time of the Roxy’s opening.
For pre- teens and teenagers, the Roxy was the place to be.
“To be able to got to the theatre on Saturday, I would clean up the house, I would cut wood, I would bring in water and then I would walk up to my mama and say — ‘What else you want me to do? I want to go to the theatre,” Thomas said.
Ruth Hill would also go to the Roxy Theatre as a youth at Ballard Hudson High School.
“It was strictly for blacks because we only had one theatre which was the Douglas Theatre downtown, and so they built the Roxy so we would have another one,” said patron Ruth Hill.
The Roxy Theatre housed greats like Otis Redding and local Macon artists in the start of their musical journies.
“We used to have talent shows there, oh you know, maybe once a month or so they might have a talent show there with the local kids,” Hill said.
These talent shows were a part of The Teenage Party hosted by Macon DJ Hamp Swain.
The Teenage Party was where most local youth would go to have a good time with one another.
Not to mention the admission prices were more than affordable.
“Capitola tokens and Royal Crown bottle caps,” Thomas said.
It cost 50 cents for patrons to go to the theatre, and sometimes there would be opportunities for goers to see performances with the showing of reused valuables.
“I was like a little silver coin, bout’ size of a 50 cent,” said Harris. And it came in a bag of flour, and if you went took it to the movie on Saturday, I guess they had a deal with the flour company, you know who made the cooking flour — then you could use that on Saturday for admission,” she said.
The five pound bag of flour with capitola included deal also went for food sold at the theatre, such as snacks.
“You could buy a hotdog with one, you could get three capitola tokens,” Thomas said.
Along with music, the theatre had movie showings often.
“One movie I never would forget was The Ten Commandments, staring Charlton Heston.” Thomas said.
The Roxy was built as a place for entertainment lovers to gather around.
The theatre was musical and freeing in a time where society had bondage.
The way Tybee emerged from its bind started with positivity. The element that’s always obtainable but sometimes difficult to find.
The thoughts of this theatre will stay in the minds of those who went and its contribution to their lives will hold on.