History

The Uptown Theater belonged to the Chitlin' Circuit, a group of venues in the United States that hosted African American entertainers and audiences during segregation. The Chitlin' Circuit birthed soul ideology, which rejected white dominance in American culture. This made the Uptown a unique location that contributed towards the Civil Rights Movement. Some of the finest musicians across the nation were rejected from performing for large-scale (dominantly white) audiences, but their African American audiences had no complaints. The Uptown Theater served its purpose and grew to become a second home for its audience as a symbol of black power. Music has been an essential part of black culture for centuries and the years the Uptown Theater was running was a time period of some of the most drastic changes in political and musical culture.

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The ability of black artists such as Sam Cooke and James Brown to gain the fame they had was remarkable. Black musicians had to face many odds to get a hold of the spotlight. Philadelphia DJ, Georgie Woods, played a large role in helping African American musicians reach these heights. He broadcasted black music on his station and grew musicians into celebrities famous enough to play at the Uptown. The transition of black music becoming more mainstream played a large role in the Civil Rights Movement in terms of black acceptance and rejection of white dominance.