Protesters attempt to block bulldozers after they arrived in the Triangle District to tear down homes. The man in the yellow shirt was arrested moments later.

In the mid-20th century, Charleston, West Virginia, was a major stop for black musicians traveling to Baltimore and D.C. on what was known as the “Chitlin’ Circuit.” Improve jazz masters like James Brown, Cab Calloway and others are said to have stopped in Charleston’s historic Triangle neighborhood to play informal gigs late into the night, or have a drink of moonshine in some of the illegal bars and brothels that operated in the neighborhood.

But in 1974, following a series of development projects, the neighborhood was demolished, and hundreds—perhaps thousands—of residents were forced to relocate. Some even left the state. It was one of many predominantly black communities across the nation that was decimated by urban renewal and the interstate highway system.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting | By Roxy Todd, Eric Douglas
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