Dancers from the Moulin Rouge in 1955 – Photo courtesy of the Archival Collection, Don T. Walker Photographic Collection, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Pull up to the 900 block of West Bonanza Road on Las Vegas’ historic West Side, and all that’s left of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino is a giant vacant lot and a row of peeling murals on the adjacent building. But this place on the National Register of Historic Places is a portal into the city’s black history.

The Moulin Rouge, run by blacks and staffed, opened in May 1955 as the only combined hotel and casino in Las Vegas and “the first major interracial hotel in the country”. He provided a welcome mat for guests and players of color at a time when black people were banned from casinos unless they worked there. Before the Moulin Rouge, even stars such as Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. had to enter the Strip hotels through the back door, despite their names being lit up on the marquee in front of the entrance.

A peeling mural shows the present and past on the grounds of the Moulin Rouge — Photo courtesy of Beth D’Addono

A Brief History Lesson

Las Vegas was officially founded in 1905 after the opening of the railroad that linked Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. It wasn’t until the late 1920s, however, that the city became distinct, notes Claytie White, director of the Oral History Research Center at the University of Nevada, a Las Vegas library. As one of the five founders of the Las Vegas Black Historical Society Inc., White interviewed hundreds of survivors.

“The Ku Klux Klan marched down Fremont Street in 1925,” she says. “It was the railroads that dictated where blacks would live, literally across the tracks.” Once thriving downtown black businesses had their licenses revoked and were forced to raise rates and start over in the west side of the city.

“It was systemic racism,” White continues. “Blacks could not qualify for FHA loans until 1968. We could not accumulate the same wealth as the whites. The kind of residential complexes that transformed neighborhoods throughout the city just didn’t exist here.”

For several years, business on Jackson Avenue, also known as the Black Stripe, remained afloat. That changed in 1960, when the then-closed Moulin Rouge hosted a meeting of city and state officials, hoteliers, and local black leaders. An agreement was reached to desegregate all of the Strip’s casinos.

“What happened then happened across America,” White says. “Black middle-class people left the poor areas of the city to improve the lives of their families.” Add to this rising unemployment, a crack cocaine epidemic, and a lack of city support and leadership, and the west side of Las Vegas is going through hard times.

Historic Westside today

Signs of hope in the Historic Westside — Photo courtesy of Beth D’Addono

It took decades, but in 2016 the Historic Urban District Redevelopment Plan (HUNDRED) was developed to encourage public investment in the historic Westside.

Suddenly, Crosby, who had grown up in the area, was now a geographic information systems specialist and special projects coordinator in the city’s planning department. Crosby has spent the past six years collecting and analyzing the data on which The HUNDRED’s success depends.

Out of the blue, Crosby leads tours of the historic Westside — Photo courtesy of Beth D’Addono

In January 2023, Crosby launched Historic Westside Tours, offering two 90-minute tours that will take visitors around the neighborhood and downtown in a minibus. One trail traces black history and reconstruction, the other traces the pioneer trail and Native American history of Las Vegas. The tour includes parks and green spaces that are being transformed into urban farms and public spaces, street art murals, and historic structures, including West Side First School and the Harrison House, a low cottage at 1001 F.

In 1942, Genevieve Harrison opened her home to travelers and divorcing couples who could not stay in hotels on the Strip due to segregation laws. Artists slept there, including Nat King Cole, Pearl Bailey and Sammy Davis Jr. Davis was such a frequent visitor that a room filled with photographs and memorabilia is named after him.

At Harrison House, you will meet owner Kathy Duncan, who worked at the Moulin Rouge in its later years. Duncan bought Harrison’s house in the early 2000s to preserve his role in Las Vegas black history.

“We were on page 55 of the Green Book,” she explains to visitors. The Green Book of Negro Travelers, published between 1936 and 1967, was a guide to essential services that allowed black families and businessmen to travel relatively safely across segregated America.

Kathy Duncan tells visitors about the Harrison house and the Green Book — Photo courtesy of Beth D’Addono

Other stops on the Historic West Side Tour are aspirational, including James Gay III Park, named after the late black community leader who played a key role in the Streep’s integration. The park is being equipped for urban vertical farming to bring fresh produce to the area, a project funded in part by a $500,000 gift from MGM Resorts International.

There is also an affordable housing component under development, as well as the Moulin Rouge entertainment district and a restaurant by Chef Jeff Henderson, founder of The Chef Jeff Project. Henderson’s non-profit organization offers cooking, hospitality, and life skills training to underserved and system-affected men and women in the community.

In 2022, the Las Vegas City Council approved a contract to develop a master plan for an African-American museum and cultural center on the historic Westside. Crosby says the future of the area where she grew up looks brighter.

“My goal as a young black woman and mother is to look to the future, to look ahead to where we are going next,” she says.

Other sights and sounds

You can see the original Moulin Rouge sign at the Neon Museum — Photo courtesy of the Neon Museum

The Neon Museum in the city center is a “graveyard” of shiny vintage neon signs, including the original “Moulin Rouge” sign in all its pink splendor. Book an open-air tour of this attraction. Twilight and evening are the best times to soak up the Vegas lights.

The musical direction of Mad Apple is performed by Jarley Black — Photo courtesy of Denise Trussello/Getty Images for Mad Apple, Cirque du Soleil

Don’t miss Cirque du Soleil’s Crazy Apple at the New York New York Casino. Most blacks perform this energetic magic, fantasy and dance under the musical direction of Eddie Cole, whose great-uncle was Nat King Cole. While performing as “Xharlie Black” on this Vegas show, Cole also played drums and toured with legendary rap artist Nas.

Dine at BIPOC Restaurants

Eat. – Black-owned restaurant by Chef Nat Young – Photo courtesy of Beth D’Addono

Eat. is the creation of chef Natalie Young, who overcame a life of drug addiction and deprivation to become an award-winning chef and successful restaurateur. Take shrimp and grits, but here everything is fresh and tasty.

Gritz Café on the historic Westside serves Southern cuisine, including grilled chicken steak and catfish pate. For dessert, choose sweet potato pie. Gritz, owned by Trina Giles, Clark County’s first black female firefighter, aims to be “the premier Southern-style restaurant that delivers black excellence in the form of great food and great customer service.”

Soul Foo Young, also located on the Historic Westside, is a blend of soul food and Chinese cuisine, offering everything from wings and kale to fried rice and foo Young eggs. Try the melt-in-your-mouth peach cobbler or Chardonnay for dessert.

Buldogis Gourmet Hot Dogs in Summerlin is the vision of Ohio chef Boysie Milner and his Seoul-born wife Mi Sun. The menu focuses on beef, turkey or veggie dogs with toppings like spicy pork bulgogi and wicked kimchi. Bibim rice bowls are also swollen.

18 Bins is located in the heart of the Las Vegas Arts District. Run by Abraham Taylor, this gastro pub offers an eclectic menu including street tacos, vegan options, local craft beers and signature cocktails.

At Nigerian Cuisine by MJ, located across from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Maduka “MJ” Joseph prepares authentic dishes from his home country. Enjoy a menu of fish soup with peppers, jollof spaghetti, oatmeal, bananas and other Nigerian staples.

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