The Lincoln Theater has been one of the most popular black-owned businesses in Baton Rouge for years.
In the 1950s and 1960s, it was one of the few movie and concert halls that catered to black residents and did not restrict them to a separate balcony in the back. Played by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and James Brown, this song was the heart of a collection of acts central to the city's civil rights movement.
But after the Lincoln Hotel closed in the mid-1980s, it fell into disuse, and its famous marquee fell into disrepair. Although the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, efforts to restore it have proven futile.
Now, community leaders say the rebirth of the Lincoln Theater is imminent.
“Today, we begin a journey to honor this legacy and preserve it for future generations,” Evelyn Augustus Dumas, chairwoman of the Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame’s board of directors, said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the major renovations on Friday. “This museum and cultural center will serve as a beacon of knowledge, inspiration and empowerment, offering enriching experiences that highlight the richness and diversity of Black personalities.”
The project will establish a cultural center to promote performing and cultural arts such as music, theatre, cinema and dance. Meanwhile, the theater will serve as the site of the Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame Museum, highlighting the contributions of black people to the state's rich history.
“Through exhibitions, educational programs and community events, we highlight often overlooked narratives and voices that have been suppressed or silenced for too long,” Dumas said. “But today it is not just about bricks and mortar, it is about building bridges of understanding, empathy and solidarity.”
The Lincoln Theater was opened in approximately 1951 by local physician and well-known community advocate Aristotle L. Historic Louisiana.
A year later, in December 2010, the National Register of Historic Places officially listed the theater as a National Historic Landmark.
Chatman's grandson, David Chatman, said he was “honored and excited” to restore the Lincoln Theater as a city historic site and a nod to his father's vision for the building nearly 75 years ago.
“I was always proud of him because I knew he delivered babies and would accept dinner or food or cookies or pies as payment,” Chatman said. “He was that kind of person, and that's how I knew him in my personal life. It's amazing to see that he had a bigger impact than I realized, and so many years later, the community sees a part of what he was doing and they want to honor him and do something for him.”
Brenda Perry Dunn, founder of the Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame, said she expects the project will restore the theater as a cultural space to bring people and the arts back to the corner of Myrtle Walk and Eddie Robinson Sr., two blocks from Interstate 10.
“This will be a beacon for three main things: arts and culture, history and education,” she said. “They'll be able to come to these four blocks and they'll be able to have it all here.”
The project is expected to cost $5.5 million. East Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said the $760,000 will come from the city-parish through the Community Development Office.
“It is certainly a historic occasion in which we acknowledge our history and how in this moment it is illuminating our souls here in the community,” Broome said.
Dumas said she looks forward to the coming months and following the progress of the Lincoln Theater as the community tries to restore it to its former glory.
“Let us treat this groundbreaking event not just as a symbolic gesture, but to reaffirm engagement and commitment to preserving and promoting the valuable legacy of black history in Louisiana,” Dumas said. “Together, let’s lay the foundation for a brighter, more inclusive future where everyone is seen, heard and valued.”
