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RACIAL
PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
Though the schools and many of the neighborhoods in this area were integrated
as far back as the 1930s, both the Bimini Baths and the Palomar Ballroom
refused to allow anyone of color to enter their premises. In fact, it
is now commonly believed that the Bimini Baths were closed down in 1950
when civil rights groups picketed the facility to force it to accept African-Americans.
Some believe that the Palomar Ballroom was intentionally torched because
Count Basie was scheduled to play there; he would have been the first
black band to play the Palomar. To hear more about this from those who
were there at the time, please listen to our documented stories about
those locations.
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