GOTHAMIST: Lincoln Center’s Racist History

Long before Lincoln Center became one of the world’s foremost destinations for the performing arts, the land it sits on was at the heart of a thriving Black and Latino Upper West Side neighborhood on the Upper West Side known for its musical richness.

It was called San Juan Hill and it fostered top jazz musicians, Broadway talent and other Black icons — and yet its memory is now largely lost.

Now, almost 70 years after that community was razed, Lincoln Center’s leadership is grappling with the pain inflicted on those the city displaced and is searching for meaningful ways to widen the reach of the cultural landmark, which has mainly served white audiences.

“In order to move forward as a more inclusive and just institution, we should start at our roots,” said Henry Timms, the organization’s president and CEO. “That means engaging with the origin story of Lincoln Center’s development in its full truth.”....

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/lincoln-center-reckoning-its-r…