{An Abundance Of Life}

During the height of it's time, Howard Street was the center of Black culture in Akron. Home to many of the city's Black-owned businesses, it thrived as a hub for community, music and entertainment. There were records shops, clubs, hotels and more. It was a well loved neighborhood, but it wasn't without its flaws. Howard Street was - governmentally regulated or not - segregated and the North side was considered "Black" and the South side was considered "White." Businesses like The Cosmopolitan Club, Hotel Matthews, and The Elk's Club resided on the the North side, whereas The Lincoln Bar and Ross Music store resided on the South. Oftentimes, The North side of Howard was treated with a level of disdain that South Howard didn't appear to be affected by.

Queer culture in Akron, while not as obviously prevalent as Black culture, certainly existed. The first queer bars began to emerge on Howard Street in earnest in the early and mid sixties, following the opening of Akron's first gay bar of note in 1948 at 13 S. Howard. A number of them flourished throughout the remainder of Howard Street's years. The development of these spaces created a haven of sorts for a crowd previously pressed to the confines of cruising. Cruising is the act of walking in known cruising location to find a romantic or sexual partner. A popular cruising spot in Akron up until the 1990s was Grace Park on Euclid Ave. While the queer community of modern times often aims for inclusivity, the nature of Howard Street in these years made the reality of this questionable at best. This was an unfortunate occurence all the more prevalent in North Howard's queer spaces. Police raids, poor publicity, and vandalism were all misfortunes that plagued these venues up until all but one closed their doors. In the face of the city's decision to embark on an urban renewal project, many of Howard Street's queer spaces were forced to shut down.

Resources & References

• “Howard Street, Akron, photograph.” Ohio History Connection. 1890.

• “Howard Street looking north, Akron, 1963.” Summit Memory. June 26, 1966. 

• Mark Schweitzer. “LITTLE BIG TOWN: How Akron’s Unique History Has Impacted its Architecture.” Medium. December 16, 2015.

• “Akron Innerbelt drives racial disparity.” Akron Beacon Journal. February 1, 2022. 

• City of Akron. History. History | Akron Innerbelt.