For much of the 20th century, this was a bustling hub. These streets were lined with churches and immigrant- and black-owned businesses. On Friday nights when sharecroppers came downtown, many locals still remember the sidewalks being so packed you had to walk in the street. Church basements and businesses became home to meetings organizing the civil rights movement. It is no coincidence that many of the movement's leaders owned their own businesses; they could not be fired for their involvement.