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Introduction 

Shaw is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., named after Union Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. 

Cultural Institutions 

Among Shaw's many landmarks are Ben's Chili Bowl, the Lincoln Theatre, the Howard Theatre, O Street Market, Shiloh Baptist Church, The Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library, the Twelfth Street YMCA Building, and the north portion of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.       

       

  

Introduction 

Shaw is a small neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Named after Shaw Junior High School, a black junior high school located at Seventh and Rhode Island Avenue NW, the Shaw neighborhood has been home to the largest urban population of African-Americans in Washington, D.C. since the 1920s. Shaw, centered around U Street NW, has been the hub for African-American social, cultural, and economic progress in the nation's capital, seeing on its own streets, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and many riots, marches, and protests that fought to achieve racial equality in Shaw and the entirety of America.    

Cultural Institutions 

Shaw's neighborhood offers different cultural landmarks consisting of:

• Ben's Chili Bowl, staying open during the 1968 riots, Ben's Chili Bowl continues to host customers and serve local residents.
• Lincoln Theatre, originally opened in 1922 as one of the largest integrated movie houses and ballrooms, it closed due to race-related riots in 1968. Later it was reopened in 1994 after being renovated and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, it continues to host performances and events today.
• Howard Theatre, owned by Abe Lichtman, a white owner of theaters that catered to African Americans, it was billed the "largest color theater in the World" in the 70's. After restoration, it still hosts artists and performers in today's entertainment industry.
• Dunbar Theater, currently know as the Southern Aid Society, the Dunbar Theater holds nearly 350 seats and was a popular venue for live entertainment, including many jazz and blues artists as well as movies. Originally opening in the 1920's, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968, shortly after closing in 1960.
• Whitelaw Hotel, served well-known entertainers who were performing near U Street as well as African American visitors drawn to Washington for meetings of national black organizations, all of whom were unable to rent rooms in the city's luxury hotels because of discrimination and segregation. The Hotel was built by the same Architect of the Southern Aid Society in 1919, later being added to the National Register of Historic Places as well.
• CityMarket at O (named until 2008 "O Street Market") is a Gothic Revival historic landmark, being one of the three public market buildings from 19th century in DC; it won several awards for its design;
• the Shiloh Baptist Church, originally located in Fredericksburg (VA), plays an active part in helping, spiritually and economically, the Shaw's community. President Barack Obama and his family attended its Easter Sunday mass in 2011;
• The Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library is a three-level library of which design was renovated in 2010 and received several awards for its excellence; it was also named as one of the top buildings of 2010 by Wall Street Journal;
• the Thurgood Marshall Center is a community center that displays and preserves the stories of African American leaders and communities that faced discrimination through history; it is also a historic structure originally named Twelfth Street YMCA Building and used to be the office of the first African American YMCA;
• the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, whose north portion is located in Shaw, has 703,000 square feet of exhibition space: it has hosted several official events including some hosted by President Barack Obama. It is also famous for its eco-friendly features. From 2017 to 2024, the WEWCC will be hosting Otakon.

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