King Street has historically been the center of commercial activity in Charleston, but it did not always cater to the same clientele. On the eve of the Charleston “Race Riot” of 1919, the street was located in one of the African American sections of town, and therefore the street predominantly consisted of black businesses who served black customers. While such businesses were undoubtedly a source of pride to many African Americans, to many white southerners these outward expressions of black industriousness posed an unconscionable challenge to white supremacy, which explains why most of the violence that occurred that evening took place in this section of the city. Courtesy of College of Charleston Libraries, Special Collections.Download Original File
