100 Men Hall

In 1922, the Hundred Men D.B.&P.L. Association built this hall on Union Street as their headquarters — a Black benevolent society creating space in a city where space was controlled. During segregation, when the Mississippi Gulf Coast's resort economy welcomed white tourists to its manmade beaches and illegal casino resorts but enforced strict racial boundaries, this became one of the only venues on the coast where Black performers could play for Black audiences. Ray Charles performed here. B.B. King performed here. Little Richard and Etta James performed here. The roll call is stenciled on the walls now — the building remembers who stood on its stage when most stages were closed to them. Katrina damaged it badly in 2005, the same storm that brought historic destruction to the Gulf Coast. New owners restored it and reopened it as a live music venue. The stenciled names stayed. Check 100menhall.com for the current schedule — what began as headquarters for a mutual aid society is still doing the work of making room.