User:Lhardy3/Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard

Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is a two-way street located in the Faubourg Lafayette neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located near the Pontchartrain Expressway, and intersects with the also historic Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.The street is a historically significant location, as it was a major business district for African Americans during the 1800s, and was named after civil rights activist Oretha C. Haley. Despite hard economic times during the Civil Rights Movement, the boulevard and the surrounding area has undergone intensive development and is now a popular tourist destination thanks to several museums and restaurants. As of 2006, it is one of New Orleans Main Streets, and is also one of the city’s Cultural Districts. Today, Oretha Castle Haley Blvd is home to several new businesses and hosts cultural events such as music festivals.

History
Initially known as Dryades Street, Oretha Castle Haley Blvd was established in the 1830s. It was a diverse business district, and was occupied by several different racial and ethnic groups that migrated to the area, including African-Americans, Italians, Jews, and other Europeans. Patrick Erwin, an Irish businessman, founded the Dryad Street Market in 1849, which sparked an era of economic prosperity. Unlike many other districts of the time, this area was not racially divided, as everyone was there for the same reason: to make money and a life for themselves. Because of this integration, Dryades Street was a hub for business activity, and was the source of economic growth for New Orleans. More than 200 businesses were located along the street, with owners from a vast array of ethnicities. As Dryades Street was one of the few places that was already integrated with multiple ethnic groups, it cast an example that was followed by several other areas during the 1960s, during the peak of the civil rights movement. This safe haven for African-American business owners and customers was one of the most significant areas in the New Orleans’ Civil Rights Movement. It not only provided African-Americans and other minority groups economic security, but was home to several boycotts and protests for the movement, making it a significant contributor to the city's civil rights movement. However, during this period the district struggled economically, as more areas desegregated and minorities spread out across the city. The area suffered from poverty and lack of investment. These hard times continued until the 1990s, when the city made successful efforts to economically and culturally improve the boulevard. Investments from various businesses as well as support from the community allowed the boulevard to once again be a hub of cultural and economic activity.

Oretha Castle Haley
The namesake of the boulevard, Oretha Castle Haley, was a prominent civil rights leader in the 1960s. Born in 1939 in New Orleans, Haley fought against voter suppression, segregation, and discrimination in the workplace. As an activist, she organized protests, boycotts, sit-ins, and even inspired the court case Lombard vs Louisiana, whose ruling was a significant step forward in the fight for racial equality. She spearheaded efforts to eliminate discrimination within businesses and worked to ensure they hired African-Americans. Throughout her life Haley continued to fight for African-Americans’ right to vote, and worked for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) as well as Charity Hospital. She also joined the National Consumer League, an organization that fight's for worker's rights, to support the interests of African-American employees. Haley’s significant contributions to not only the city of New Orleans but the civil rights movement is why in 1989, Dryades Street was officially renamed Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Present Day
Today, Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is still a hustling business district. Residents, the city, and specifically The Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association have invested in the area’s restoration, and the district has become a center for business and culture. The boulevard is home to several restaurants, the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, the Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The Ziegeist Center is an artist-owned organization that showcases plays, musicals, art, poetry, etc. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is a nonprofit with exhibitions showing unique foods from a variety of states in the South. They also host tastings as well as cooking classes. Music festivals, sports events, and other cultural activities draw visitors to the lively area. Yet another attraction for tourists are the streetcar lines that run through the area that have been around since the boulevard was first established. Because of its success, the district has won several awards recognizing its economic success and cultural significance to the city. These include the Great American Main Street Award (2017) and being designated as a Louisiana Main Street (2006).

=== Demographics ===