The Cotton Club
Famous night club located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue. Owned by mobster Owen Madden after he purchased it from Jack Johnson in 1923, renaming it from Club Deluxe to The Cotton Club. The Club is one of the largest in Harlem, seating 600 people, though Madden enforces a strict no blacks rule when it comes to customers. He sees no issue with putting them on stage.
Flavor Text
As you step into The Cotton Club, the air is heavy with an unsettling mix of excitement and unease. This newly renovated establishment, nestled in the heart of Harlem, offers an extraordinary experience that is both alluring and fraught with problematic racial themes, where the worlds of music and sophistication intertwine amidst a backdrop of troubling jungle imagery. The entrance welcomes you with a modern flair, but the interior decor reveals a disturbing fascination with jungle motifs. Exoticized depictions of indigenous people and problematic racial imagery adorn the walls, perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The grand stage stands at the center, framed by opulent velvet curtains, but the unsettling jungle themes seem to loom in the background, casting a shadow over the entire atmosphere. The notes of saxophones and trumpets fill the space, but you can't help but notice that the majority of the performers and entertainers on stage are people of color, often presented through problematic caricatures. Elegantly dressed men and women gather, but a sense of unease lingers in the room, as the club's racial undertones are impossible to ignore.
Type
Pub / Tavern / Restaurant
Parent Location
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