Las Vegas is just like Mississippi — Mistakes Were Made

When a person thinks of segregation in U.S. history, most think of it existing only in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee (aka the southern states.) When a person thinks of 1950s era Las Vegas, they think of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin,) the Mob and the glitz and glamour of the era. Most people don’t know that famous black celebrities who performed at the Vegas Casinos like Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr. and Josephine Baker weren’t actually allowed to stay in the same casinos they performed in. In fact, they had to find lodging in west Las Vegas, a.k.a. the black side of town. 1950s era, Las Vegas was just as segregated as Mississippi during that time.

All of the casinos in downtown Las Vegas and the Strip were segregated during this time. Blacks were only allowed in as the entertainment or to do low-level labor jobs. A group of white investors saw the need and financial benefit of an integrated hotel casino. The group brought in Joe Louis to have a small ownership percentage and be the official host of the casino (think of Jay-Z ownership era with the Brooklyn Nets.) Because Vegas was segregated with actions like redlining, the casino could only be built in one place, west Las Vegas, which was a great distance from the Strip or the Downtown area.