Jazz and The Dunbar

In the 1920s, Los Angeles’ Black population was minimal—only 2% of L.A. The city was largely segregated, with separate neighborhoods, beaches, and pools. Additionally, there weren't any grand hotels that would allow African Americans. In 1928, the NAACP annual meeting was held in LA. Because of this segregation, Black delegates from the East had nowhere to stay. That's where a man named Dr. Somerville came into the picture. He had a vision of a fancy hotel where African Americans would be allowed to stay. After a few years of planning and development, Dr. Somerville opened the doors to the Somerville Hotel. The delegates were ecstatic, and it became a rallying point for Black Angelenos and surprisingly, for musicians too. Jazz icons like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway would perform at white clubs and hotels by day and then come to the Somerville at night for jam sessions. The Somerville was later renamed the Dunbar, after a black poet, when the hotel was sold to new owners during the Great Depression. Unfortunately, the Dunbar went bankrupt and had to shut its doors in 1948. It now stands as a senior residential home. However, we cannot deny the incredible history of the Dunbar Hotel.