In The News: Oral History Research Center
Las Vegas has no shortage of great entertainers no matter their racial background, but turn back the clock 50 or 60 years ago, those entertainers could not stay at the casinos or hotels they performed at. Instead, they stayed at the Historic Harrison Guest House.
This Black History Month, News 3 is highlighting and honoring pioneers who have shaped and changed what’s possible in Nevada. One of those people is Sarann Knight-Preddy. Knight-Preddy was the first Black person to receive a gaming license in the state. She died in 2014, but her legacy lives on in merit of ways.
Anna Bailey, the first Black showgirl on the Las Vegas strip, was in huge demand in the 1960s, but she couldn't even walk in the front doors at some of the same casinos where she performed. The Moulin Rouge, which opened in May of 1955, was the first casino Bailey worked when she moved to Las Vegas from New York. It was built in the majority Black West Side of Las Vegas so the hotel and casino could be integrated and it was the first racially integrated casino-resort in the country.
Anna Bailey, the first Black showgirl on the Las Vegas strip, was in huge demand in the 1960s, but she couldn't even walk in the front doors at some of the same casinos where she performed. The Moulin Rouge, which opened in May of 1955, was the first casino Bailey worked when she moved to Las Vegas from New York. It was built in the majority Black West Side of Las Vegas so the hotel and casino could be integrated and it was the first racially integrated casino-resort in the country.
It was a great migration and a time when the Basic Magnesium plant in Henderson became one of the earliest working hubs for African American workers. Claytee White, director of oral research history at UNLV said when America entered World War II, the United States was trying to catch up on new technology.
An essay by historian Claytee White, a looping documentary produced by PBS Reno, and a display of structures that have been demolished or altered round out the exhibition, underlining the depth of Williams' mark on the Silver State. The Neon Museum, which has preserved La Concha’s lobby, has also partnered with the Nevada Museum of Art to offer educational events during the exhibit’s run.
A Las Vegas City Council meeting approval on November 16 paved the way for what could be one of the most ambitious projects in the city’s recent history—an African-American museum and cultural center located in the Historic Westside neighborhood.
The upcoming holidays mean people spend —on food, on gifts, clothes and so much more.
The upcoming holidays mean people spend —on food, on gifts, clothes and so much more.
A ” We Need to Talk” panel discussion on critical race theory at UNLV’s Greenspun Hall Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.
The casual elegance of architect Paul Revere Williams’ Southern California mansions attracted a host of celebrity clients, including Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Yet today the architect is celebrated as much for his improbable journey and the obstacles he overcame as for the remarkable quality of his work. Born in 1894, Williams, the orphan son of an African American fruit and vegetable merchant, would rise from his humble beginnings and the racial prejudice of his day to become one of America’s most respected architects.
The architect’s achievements transformed the landscape of Nevada but were obscured by racism. Janna Ireland’s exhibition changes that.