[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE ATTUCKS THEATRE, NORFOLK, VA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. OWEN B. PICKETT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 9, 1997

  Mr. PICKETT. Mr. Speaker, I offer for inclusion into the 
Congressional Record this statement expressing the historical 
significance of the Attucks Theatre, located in Norfolk, VA, and the 
potential impact of the restoration of the theatre on the local culture 
and economy.
  In an attempt to deal with the realities of a segregated society, an 
enterprise of black businessmen, the Twin Cities Amusement Corp., 
constructed the Attucks Theatre in 1919. The businessmen represented 
the twin cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth in Virginia. The Attucks 
Theatre was constructed in Norfolk on Church Street which was the focal 
point of commercial and social activity in the African-American 
community. The oldest available map of Church Street is dated 1680. 
Considering that the first colony in America was established in 
Jamestown, VA, in 1607, Church Street may well be the Nation's oldest 
center of activity for African-Americans.
  As the only cultural center in the African-American community, the 
Attucks Theatre became a mecca for enterprise, education, and 
entertainment. Incredible stars appeared on stage at the Attucks, 
including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, 
and a host of other famous performers of the big band era. The theatre 
was instrumental in nurturing the talents of many Hampton Roads natives 
including Tony Award winning artist Ruth Brown.
  The Attucks Theatre is a rare treasure. According to documentation 
provided by the National Register of Historic Places, a small number of 
African-American theatres remain in the country today. Of this number, 
some were designated as movie houses and others were designated as 
performing arts theatres with stage rigging and other equipment unique 
to playhouses. The majority of these theatres were designated and/or 
constructed by persons of other races for African-American audiences. 
The Attucks Theatre is the oldest remaining playhouse in the country 
which was completely financed, designed, constructed and operated by 
African-Americans.
  The renovation of the Attucks Theatre has national, regional, and 
local importance. Locally, the restoration will facilitate the 
revitalization of the Church Street corridor in Norfolk, an area which 
was formerly the social and economic hub of African-Americans in 
Hampton Roads.
  Regionally, utilization of the theatre will help to alleviate the 
dearth of available--and affordable--performance venues for mid-sized 
arts organizations. It will also significantly impact the way in which 
African-American history is taught in the region's school systems. 
Educators in the Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach school systems 
look forward to developing curriculum which will be taught in the 
authentic historical setting of the Attucks. The Governor's Magnet 
School for the Arts will also have broad use of the theatre.
  Nationally, the restoration will preserve a rare playhouse named in 
honor of Crispus Attucks, a patriot of African-American and native-
American descent who was the first person martyred in the American 
Revolutionary War; a playhouse which served to uplift the hearts and 
spirits of a depressed people during the trials of segregation. The 
Attucks is a beacon to the talent, creativity and economic strength of 
the African-American culture. It is a structure meritorious of 
restoration.

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