Rhythm & Resilience: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Las Vegas at Duck Duck Shed on Oct. 25

By Debbie Hall

Las Vegas is often celebrated for its neon signs, glamorous showrooms and legendary performers who helped establish its reputation as the Entertainment Capital of the World. But the city’s cultural identity was also shaped by the African American community, whose creativity, resilience and determination built thriving neighborhoods and challenged racial barriers.

From October 23–26, The Neon Museum’s fourth annual Duck Duck Shed will explore the architecture, design, entertainment and cultural forces that shaped Las Vegas. The four-day program brings together historians, designers, authors, artists, performers and local cultural figures to uncover stories behind the city’s evolution.

Featured presentations include “Curating Rhythm & Resilience: History, Art, and Legacy in Black Las Vegas,” led by curator Carmen Beals on October 25. Through photographs, artifacts and contemporary art, Beals traces African American life in Southern Nevada, from the city’s first Black settler to the achievements and enduring influence of the Historic Westside.

For Beals, bringing these stories forward means ensuring African Americans are recognized as an integral part of Las Vegas’s cultural legacy.

“Oftentimes, when people think of Las Vegas and its cultural legacy, African Americans are overlooked or left out of the narrative entirely,” Beals explains. “That is why it is so important to highlight the opportunities that brought African Americans to Southern Nevada, the remarkable progress they made despite facing racial inequality, and the beautiful stories of resilience, perseverance, and achievement they have left behind for future generations to discover, appreciate, and learn from.”

The People and Places Behind the Legacy

The Historic Westside is home to stories of people who challenged barriers and opened doors for others. William “Bob” Bailey, an entertainer and civil rights advocate, helped desegregate Las Vegas hotels and casinos. Hattie Canty, the first African American president of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, championed workers’ rights. Dr. Charles I. West, Nevada’s first Black physician, founded The Las Vegas Voice.

Other trailblazers include Dr. James McMillan, Las Vegas’s first Black dentist, whose NAACP leadership helped secure the historic 1960 Moulin Rouge Agreement, and Ruby Duncan, a welfare rights activist who led demonstrations alongside national figures such as Jane Fonda. Duncan later co-founded Operation Life, which provided essential community services and helped establish the original West Las Vegas Library.

The neighborhood’s landmarks offer another window into this legacy. Built in 1923, the Historic Westside School initially served children of all races before becoming segregated; today, it houses KCEP 88.1 FM. The Harrison Guest House at 1001 F Street welcomed Black entertainers and travelers excluded from segregated Strip hotels.

Jackson Avenue, known as the Black Strip, once thrived with casinos, nightclubs and restaurants that welcomed celebrated performers. Berkley Square, designed by renowned architect Paul Revere Williams, FAIA, expanded opportunities for African American homeownership through FHA-insured mortgages.

Beals is especially interested in making the stories behind these places accessible to audiences who may be encountering them for the first time. Her presentation will feature historic casino chips, photographs and archival artifacts that connect the neighborhood’s landmarks to the people who gave them meaning.

Black Las Vegas and the Entertainment Capital

African American musicians, dancers, entertainers and entrepreneurs helped build Las Vegas’s international entertainment reputation. Yet segregation often prevented Black performers from staying in the very hotels and casinos where they appeared.

The Historic Westside offered a welcoming alternative. Residents embraced entertainers denied accommodations elsewhere, giving them a sense of belonging and connection. Many of these stars also performed along Jackson Avenue, allowing Westside residents to enjoy world-class entertainment in their own community.

Reflecting on this contrast, Beals says, “Although segregation was a painful reality at the time, I find it remarkable how the Historic Westside community embraced these entertainers, providing them with a sense of belonging, hospitality, and comfort when they were denied accommodations at the very hotels and casinos where they performed.”

This exchange helped shape the city’s creative identity beyond the Strip’s major resorts. It also underscores how Black Las Vegas fostered its own vibrant entertainment scene while contributing to the wider city’s growth.

Beals explores these connections through Rhythm and Resilience: Black Vegas and an accompanying pop-up. The objects on display offer tangible links to the people, businesses and experiences that shaped the Historic Westside, bringing community stories into conversation with the city’s broader entertainment legacy.

Keeping the Stories Alive

For Beals, preservation means safeguarding more than dates and historical facts. It also means retaining the personal experiences, voices and community pride that give those facts their meaning.

“We risk losing not only the historical facts but also the personal experiences, voices, and memories that give this history its meaning,” she says.

Beals points to UNLV Special Collections and Archives, including its preservation of photography by local photographer Clinton Wright, along with museums and cultural organizations that share these stories through exhibitions, oral histories and educational programs. Including African American experiences in school curricula is equally important, she says, so future generations understand that Black history is an essential part of Las Vegas history.

She hopes Duck Duck Shed attendees leave with a deeper appreciation for African Americans' resilience in Southern Nevada and a broader understanding of their contributions to the city.

Despite segregation, discrimination and countless obstacles, community members challenged injustice, created opportunities, built thriving neighborhoods and celebrated everyday life. As Beals explains, “Although the exhibition focuses on African American life, the themes of perseverance, determination, and overcoming adversity are universal, offering stories that people from all walks of life can relate to and draw inspiration from.”

Through “Curating Rhythm & Resilience,” Beals invites audiences to look beyond the familiar images of Las Vegas and recognize the people and communities that helped shape it. The Historic Westside is not a footnote to the city’s story—it is an essential chapter.

Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in 2021, the highest national honor for museums in the United States. Situated on a 2.27-acre campus, the museum's collection also includes 15 restored signs displayed as public art in downtown Las Vegas, collectively known as The Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway Project. Its ongoing initiatives encompass public education, outreach, research, and arts preservation. For more information, including Duck DuckShed, tour schedules and tickets, visit The Neon Museum or Duck Duck Shed. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.