“Blytheville Black Historic District”

The significance of Ash Street in Blytheville was etched in stone Saturday, Nov. 19 with a dedication from the Arkansas Heritage Commission. The Mississippi County Juneteenth Committee has ensured to recognize Ash Street's importance since its formation. With each Juneteenth Weekend Celebration, there has been a dedicated time to appreciate the businesses and community leaders who helped build the district’s prestige. With the plaque, Ash Street is now recognized by Arkansas Heritage as the Blytheville Black Historic District.

The plaque reads, “During segregation in the twentieth century, Ash Street was the social and commercial heart of the Black community in Blytheville. On Saturdays, when sharecropper families would dress and come to town, Ash Street would be so crowded that people would have to walk in the street. Civic groups like the Blytheville Social Arts Club and the Royal Brotherhood Club organized many community services and events here and would inaugurate a community leader as the honorary Mayor of Ash Street. Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, which stood at this spot, often hosted graduations and state conventions. The annual National Cotton Picking Contest was celebrated with a street dance on this street.”

On the opposite side, the plaque continues, “Among the many black-owned businesses on Ash Street during this era were beauty shops and barbershops, clothing stores, dry cleaners, dental and doctors offices, a pharmacy, a market, restaurants, funeral homes and a taxicab stand. Two churches here also served the community. For entertainment, there were two movie theaters, a pool hall, and nightclubs. In the 1960s, an Ash Street variety store was listed in the Green Book. Celebrities like B.B. King often performed in the nightclubs, and the movie theaters also hosted live programs including the internationally renowned Wings Over Jordan gospel choir.”