The Fillmore

Before this building became an icon of the psychedelic rock era, it was known as the Harlem of the West. It began its life in nineteen twelve as a dance hall called the Majestic, but it was Black entrepreneur Charles Sullivan who transformed it into a cultural powerhouse in the mid-fifties. Sullivan was a visionary businessman who booked legendary jazz and rhythm and blues artists, turning the venue into a vibrant, integrated space when many other establishments remained strictly segregated. He was widely known as the Mayor of the Fillmore, and his dedication to the music scene helped make the surrounding neighborhood the center of Black entertainment in San Francisco for decades.