Macon Magazine

important, according to Emily Allmond, Historic Macon's Lanier Education Coordinator. She candidly expressed that Black Macon monuments matter as well. "It's super important to talk about, recognize and share all our history. Black people have been victims of systematic oppression for so long," she said. "We need to acknowledge Black history, celebrate it and lift it up as we do other communities' history. It's a way of correcting the wrongs of the past." Brandon Harris echoed Allmond's point. His family has been stakeholders near the Roxy Theatre since his grandfather established Harrell's Barbershop in Greenwood Bottom in 1965. He and his cousin Daude Harris continued the Broadway business and are contributing greatly to the comeback of the area as an enclave of Black excellence. A stone's throw away from the Roxy, the Harrises own a boxing gym overseen by Daude and the recently minted Greenwood Bottom Shopping Plaza, which Brandon rolled out in late November. The plaza contains four Black-owned businesses. 'WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE BLACK HISTORY, CELEBRATE IT AND LIFT IT UP AS WE DO OTHER COMMUNITIES' HISTORY. IT'S A WAY OF CORRECTING THE WRONGS OF THE PAST.' — EMILY ALLMOND Following extensive research and guidance provided by members of Turner Tabernacle AME Church, Westside Neighbors United founder and president George Crawley Jr. and remaining residents and business owners of Greenwood Bottom, Stroud found funding through grants and donations and commenced the theater's comeback. "The Roxy was the epicenter of Greenwood Bottom. This area was very prolific," Stroud said. "The Roxy was a place where Black people galvanized their history. It's a cultural icon that's not appreciated as much as it should be." Appreciation is bound to increase, however, as collective efforts to reopen it continue. Through grants and support from local individuals, groups, the county and others, the Roxy's reopening is within reach. Stroud designated the initial use of the theater property as a food truck plaza. The building is privately owned and still in litigation following a tumultuous period, but the back parking lot is owned by Macon-Bibb County. A succession of volunteer cleanups and improvements to the parking area has led to the capacity to now host community events along with family functions. If all goes well, the Roxy could once again be active. Stroud cites the wildly popular information, art and entertainment chain Busboys & Poets in Washington, D.C., as an example of the possibilities. Its eight locations throughout the city serve as repositories of history through the combination of books, music, art and open mics. "The Roxy is the last local cultural icon that Black people made relevant. I want it to be a destination for families to come to as a place that provides a historical context of Black people in Macon," said Stroud. The Historic Macon Foundation is on board. The nonprofit's mission is the preservation and restoration of significant sites around the city. Headed up by executive director Ethiel Garlington, it worked with Stroud and added the Roxy to its Fading Five list. That designation put the Roxy in another place as a location of significance and forced Macon to dive deeper into the waters of what's A 36-year-old married father of four, Brandon supports reopening the Roxy, but wants to ensure that patrons of the theater visit or invest in Greenwood Bottom's other businesses as well. Harris said this will allow the area to return to its former greatness and ignite a movement of economic empowerment that fueled Greenwood Bottom and its namesake, Greenwood Avenue, the center of Tulsa, Oklahoma's once booming Black Wall Street. "It was important for our family to keep our stake in this area. Greenwood Bottom runs deep in our being. We've always known the Roxy and this area's significance," Brandon said. LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD Ties that bind Macon's Black community can also be found in some surprising locations. While youth and young adults may not know it, Macon's baby boomers and senior citizens are aware of historic Luther Williams Field's storied past as a place where history and memories were made. Built in 1929 and on the National Registry of Historic Places, the brick, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022 | maconmagazine.com 67

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