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The Lenape Bar was a LaVilla hotspot in Jacksonville between the 1920s and 1940s. It hosted performances by Ray Charles and other important artists who toured Florida between the 1920s and 1950s. Jazz artists who performed at the Ritz Theatre or…

The African American community in Gainesville was restricted to a small area on the east side of town. The Cotton Club, named after the famous nightclub in Harlem, was the entertainment center of Gainesville’s African American community. Many stops…

On July 30, 1967, a confrontation between police and two African American men at a popular night spot in Riviera Beach escalated to a full-scale riot. The riot lasted through the night, and a local lumber company was set ablaze. Local leaders called…

The Two Spot was one of the largest and most unique stops on the Circuit. This aerial view from the 1940s or 1950s depicts the entertainment complex’s spacious dance hall, annex, cabins, and racetrack. Spaces like this offered numerous opportunities…

This well-appointed bar in the Two Spot nightclub served dancers, musicians, and partygoers at social events in Jacksonville’s 45th & Moncrief neighborhood. The exceptionally large Two Spot Club was an ideal performance and gathering space for this…

The Two Spot nightclub in Jacksonville’s 45th & Moncrief neighborhood was home to a large dance hall, tables for small and large groups on two levels, and a luxurious soda fountain. Visitors to the club could also rent a cabin on the grounds or watch…

The African American neighborhood centered on West 45th St. and Moncrief Road in Jacksonville was an enclave of segregation on the outskirts of the city established in the late nineteenth century. The Two Spot, pictured here in the 1940s, hosted…

African American businesses and homes in Jacksonville were restricted to segregated districts within the city. The Knights of Pythias Hall, depicted in this 1943 photograph, formed the center of Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood. Known as the…

The widespread popularity of big band jazz allowed Americans in some cities in the 1920s and 1930s to cross racial boundaries and enjoy the music together. Southern cities were not as permissive as northern cities, but the large military presence in…

Internationally renowned performers toured the Circuit from the 1930s until the 1970s. Clubs in the Jim Crow South often catered to diverse audiences at the peak of jazz’s popularity in the 1940s. This image of Cab Calloway was taken in the Clover…