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 The
African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and
Museum is located in the heart of the Historic U street/Shaw
neighborhood of Washington, DC. The neighborhood predates
Harlem as cultural hearth for African Americans. During the
Civil War it served as refuge for newly freed enslaved Africans
and the institutions that that they built in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood gained its intellectual vibrancy in part
from nearby Howard University.
 The
neighborhood served as the home for many renowned African
American entertainers. The neighborhood is best know as
the home of Duke Ellington. During the Dukes "hey day,"
businesses, restaurants, churches, schools, nightclubs,
theatres,and other African American social institutions
thrived.
 Today,
the U street corridor is experiencing a rebirth following
the devastating riots of the late sixties. Businesses have
returned, the night life is vibrant, the historic Lincoln
Theatre is still a centerpiece pf the neighborhood and institutions
such as the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom
FOundation and Museum serve as major tourist attraction.
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