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Built in 1924, the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom was one of the only upscale reception halls in New York available for events sponsored by African Americans. Thus, it earned the distinction of hosting the first awards ceremony for The Crisis (a publication edited by W. E. B. Du Bois).

The Renaissance Casino and Ballroom entertained patrons with such varied diversions as cabaret acts, concerts, and gambling. On the second story, couples danced the Lindy Hop, Black Bottom, and Charleston to the sounds of Chick Webb's and Fletcher Henderson's orchestras. The dance floor doubled as home court for a basketball team named the Harlem Renaissance. Dubbed the "Harlem Rens," it was the first all-black basketball team to win a World Championship.

The extent to which the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom was woven into the fabric of Harlem nightlife is evidenced by its appearance in literature of the day, such as "College Formal: Renaissance Casino," a poem by Langston Hughes.

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Harlem Renaissance

Tags:

cabaret , concerts , gambling , upscale , dancing , fletcher henderson , reception hall , the crisis , lindy hop , black bottom , charleston , chick webb , basketball team , harlem rens , first allblack basketball team to win a world championship