African American Buffalo

• Experiencing Buffalo’s African American Heritage
• A Culture of Festivals
• Cultural Institutions
• Historic Sites & Landmarks
• Food for the Soul
• Shopping Stops
• The Night Scene

A Quilt of American Experience

Buffalo is an heirloom quilt stitched with the tenacity and triumph of the African American spirit. The city was a final stop on the freedom train north from slavery and the Jim Crow South. In its heyday, Buffalo represented hope and self-empowerment for Black Americans, and a better life for generations to come.

The weight and wonder of this rich legacy flows in blues riffs and jazz notes through the city.

Black frontiersman Joseph Hodges was one of Buffalo’s earliest non-white settlers. Local griots – oral historians – know that Underground Railroad conductor Harriet “Mother Moses” Tubman led bands of runaways through the Niagara region. Abolitionist William Wells Brown lived on Pine Street in Buffalo and helped fugitives cross the water into Canada when he worked for the Lake Erie Steamship Co.

Frederick Douglass spoke to a full sanctuary at the Michigan Street Baptist Church. In 1905, W.E.B. DuBois, with other black leaders, planned the Niagara Movement and Booker T. Washington addressed crowds in Buffalo. Mary B. Talbert campaigned for anti-lynching legislation from her home on Michigan Avenue.

Buffalo is where jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong jammed with local musicians at the Colored Musicians Club. Writer Ishmael Reed and pop R&B icon Rick James hail from Buffalo. “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin (and her sisters) sang in a Buffalo church choir where her father served as a pastor. Buffalo is where the late Grover Washington Jr. cultivated the smooth in his sax. Cleveland Witherspoon invented the electronic car starter here. The vibrations of the African American experience are palpable in Buffalo. Catch the rhythm and realize the whole American story is right here.

Download a copy of the latest Buffalo Niagara African American Heritage Guide here.

A Last Stop Before Freedom

In 1816, there were 16 Black residents (nine listed as slaves) included among a Buffalo population of 400. By 1828, that number had grown to a community of about 60 who, shortly thereafter, organized the Vine Street African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Michigan Street Baptist Church. Along with the Colored Presbyterian Church and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, these churches became the cornerstones of activity dedicated to building a free life in the urban North.

At the beginning of the Civil War, the African American population in Buffalo numbered about 500; most were fugitive slaves or their descendents. Proximity to Canada - and to points West - made the city an important Underground Railroad station. Buffalo was pivotal in abolitionist and turn-of-the-century “race relations” movements. In 1843, the high point of the National Negro Convention, hosted by the Vine Street AME Church, was a debate between statesman and Rochester publisher Frederick Douglass and minister Henry Highland Garnett on whether or not the institution of slavery should be overthrown by force. In 1845, the congregation of the Michigan Street Baptist Church erected its own building at 511 Michigan Avenue. It still stands as the oldest property in the region built and continually owned by African Americans. During the peak of Underground Railroad activity, the church harbored tired runaways before they crossed the border into Canada. In 1997, the Michigan Street Baptist Church became an official historic site when New York State Governor George Pataki signed the New York Freedom Trail Program Act at the church.

Proximity to Canada made Buffalo an important Underground Railroad station. The city was pivotal in abolitionist and turn-of-the-century “race relations” movements.

In Broderick Park, on the Niagara River at the foot of Ferry Street, a plaque marks where other runaways crossed treacherous water to salvation.

At the turn of the 20th century, Black people flooded into the city from Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, from Tennessee and the Carolinas. During this first wave of the Great Migration, they found plentiful work in the steel mills and factories and as domestics. And nearly as soon as they arrived, they founded businesses, established services and organized social groups to support their segregated communities.

There were Black-owned hotels, nightclubs, funeral parlors, cleaners, drug stores and restaurants in Buffalo. The city was home to nine Black newspapers, of which The Buffalo Criterion, founded during this period, is still a vital source of community information. Already established were a grocery cooperative, a Negro Businessman’s League, an American Colored Worker’s League and the Michigan Avenue YMCA, which was built in 1926 by a Black architect named John R. Brent.

Buffalo also emerged as a place where African Americans gathered to chart their collective future. In 1905, it was the site of the first meeting of the Niagara Convention.

In 1920, Dr. Theodore Kaakaza, a South African physician; Cornelius White, a window washer; Alfred Boykin, a grocer; and Arthur Lewis, publisher of the Buffalo American newspaper formed a local branch of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. During the time that UNIA Local No. 79 was active, Marcus Garvey made a number of visits.

During the second wave of the Great Migration, beginning from about 1940, new masses of African Americans fled Jim Crow and flowed into the Queen City. As families relocated and sent back for other family members and friends, the Black population grew to 75,000.

As the population increased, the network of support for life in the urban North increased in proportion. The evolution of this network -- defined by a strong sense of family, faith and cultural tradition -- forms the heartbeat of the present-day city. Buffalo is more than 37 percent African American and nearly 50 percent people of color.

During the summer, almost every glorious weekend in Buffalo offers a celebration of African American culture and heritage. Each December the African American community comes together in one of the few collective weeklong Kwanzaa celebrations in the country.

Within Buffalo’s African American community, there is a genteel glow of Southern/African tradition and American wisdom. The light fills its clubs and churches and celebrations of self-love carried from grandmothers and generations past.

Strong ancestral spirits hold the soul of the Buffalo legacy safe -- with steady and persevering pride.

Experiencing Buffalo’s African American Heritage

A new attraction - the Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor - that links three historic sites is being created to commemorate the African American experience in Buffalo and the role the Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement and Jazz each played in shaping that experience.

Michigan Street Baptist Church

The Michigan Street Baptist Church has been a central part of the history and culture of the African American community in Buffalo for more than 150 years. It is one of the oldest properties in Buffalo continuously operated by African Americans. The building was erected in 1845 and became a legendary Underground Railroad station, providing sanctuary for hundreds of freedom seekers before they crossed the border to freedom in Canada. It was a central meeting place for abolitionists and anti-lynching activists. Over the years, Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington each graced its sanctuary.

The Nash House

The Reverend Jesse Edward Nash provided spiritual leadership and civil rights leadership in Buffalo for more than half a century. The son of freed slaves; he arrived in the city from Virginia in 1892 at age 24, to take the pulpit of the prominent Michigan Street Baptist Church. The house where he lived at 36 Nash Street has been restored and now includes a public museum on the upper floor, and research and office space on the lower level. The historic Nash Papers will also be available for viewing by historians, researchers and visitors.

The Colored Musicians Club

Because of its central location - and role as a railroad hub – Buffalo became a popular stop for touring musicians. In 1917, in response to being shut out of the white musicians’ Local No.43, the city’s Black musicians organized Local No. 533 (Colored Musicians Club) and established its Union Hall at 145 Broadway.

Members and officers were installed in early 1918, but the Colored Musicians Club was not chartered until July 31, 1935. During the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, any musician that came through Buffalo had to check in with the Colored Musicians Club. Jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald are among the many that graced its stage. And Buffalo legends played with the greats: Wade Legge played piano with Dizzy; George Holt played trumpet and saxophone with Lenny Lewis, Cozy Cole and Jimmy Lunceford; and Albert Riding played trumpet with Billy Eckstein and Count Basie.

The Colored Musicians Club stands today in its original location - complete with peep hole and corner bandstand. In 1999, it was designated an historic preservation site. Its members are still among the most talented and versatile musicians anywhere. They give free jazz lessons to community youth and hold weekly Sunday night jam sessions.

The Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor is located near the intersection of Broadway and Michigan Avenue in downtown Buffalo.

To experience Buffalo’s African American heritage, contact Mo’ Better Buffalo or Motherland Connextions:

MO' BETTER BUFFALO CULTURAL ARTS COLLECTIVE

Offer heritage tour packages for groups. A variety of tours of different lengths are offered.
To plan an MBB Experience, contact:
outside the box at (716) 884-3520
outtheboks@aol.com

MOTHERLAND CONNEXTIONS

Offering Underground Railroad tours, slideshows and mobile classrooms that make heritage tourism exciting. Understand the Underground Railroad by following the footsteps of those brave and hearty souls who took the secret passageways north to Canada.
HOURS
Mon - Fri, 9am-5pm; Sat 9am-2pm year round except Sundays and holidays.
ADDRESS
471 Hyde Park Boulevard
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
(716) 282-1028
www.motherlandconnextions.com

A Culture of Festivals

From jazz to jump-up to soul-stirring Gospel, in Buffalo there’s a celebration to appeal to every generation, and every personal interest. The city is convenient to get to, affordable to visit and only 20 minutes away from the magnificent Niagara Falls, making it an ideal location for a family reunion or group meeting.

MARCH - Harriet Tubman Holiday Celebration Langston Hughes Institute

25 High Street, Buffalo
716-881-3266
An annual affair that gives the community time to reflect on the contributions of Harriet Tubman while ultimately trying to achieve the goal of attaining a national holiday for her.
If successful, she would be the first female and the second African American so honored.
On March 10th, the date of her death, members of the community sing, dance, recite poetry and perform dramatizations at the institute in commemoration.

JUNE - Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Best Street and Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-891-8801
Since 1975, Buffalonians have celebrated the historic day in June 1865 when Union soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas with news of the Emancipation Proclamation. Today the annual Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo is among the largest in the nation. The two-day celebration of family, culture and tradition draws more than 100 vendors from Canada and the Eastern seaboard, and often features Universoul Circus, the country’s only African American owned and operated circus. Other festival events include the annual 5K Mile Run and Juneteenth Festival Parade, main stage and cultural performances by local and regional groups, a basketball competition, food court, job fair, book fair - and much more.

JULY - Queen City Jazz Festival Colored Musicians Club

145 Broadway, Buffalo
716-855-9383
www.coloredmusiciansclub.org
This one day outdoor event hosts live local, national and international jazz perfomers.

JULY - Buffalo Book Fair

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo
716-881-6066
www.hbfb.org
An outdoor family event that promotes the love of reading and literacy. Activities include readings, book signings, interactive children activities, seminars, panel discussions, a variety of vendors and the opportunity to meet and greet celebrity authors. The nationally known fair is customized for Buffalo, highlighting the city’s diverse community and rich cultural and historical experience. It also features Chalk Walk murals on the street.

JULY - Jefferson Avenue Renaissance Arts Festival

Jefferson Avenue between East Utica Street and
East Ferry Street, Buffalo
716-882-7594 or 716-883-4367, ext. 11
A celebration of community and creativity founded by a group of civic-minded women with a vision for economic development and reinvigoration of Buffalo’s East Side. The two-day block party starts with a parade and showcases visual artists from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. (Sculptures by Valeria Cray-Dihaan, a founder of the event, are a part of the permanent collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.) The event also features vendors, food, cultural exhibits, entertainment by local performers and children’s activities.

JULY - Masten District Jazz Festival Steps of the Buffalo Science Museum

1020 Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo
716-886-1548 or 716-228-5307
Four consecutive Sunday afternoons celebrating the American institution of jazz with old school, new generation and “Buffalo Cool” jazz. Alumni include Toronto’s Nick “The Brownman” Ali, Serious Young Musicians, Maggie Brown (daughter of legendary Oscar Brown Jr.) and many more. Presented by bassist James “Pappy” Martin under the auspices of the African American Cultural Center, Inc.

JULY - Gospelfest Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion

Best Street and Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo
716-855-1569 or 716-886-1782
Each summer, a host of church choirs from Buffalo and surrounding communities come together to make a joyful noise under the sun! The two-day event traditionally includes sermonettes by local pastors, vendors, and performances by local and regional Gospel artists.

JULY - Harriet Tubman Annual Retreat

Bus Excursion from Buffalo to Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, NY
716-884-5436
A celebration of Harriet Tubman’s life, commitment, courage and sacrifice. This family-oriented event leaves Buffalo and travels to Tubman’s home in Auburn, New York – with videotaped history lessons along the way. The Auburn visit includes a tour of the home and a ceremony at the gravesite of “Mother Moses,” as well as interactive history exhibits tracing African American history from Ancient Africa through the Escape to Freedom. The tour chronicles the history of the Underground Railroad in Western New York.

JULY - Taking It to the Streets Rally Weekend

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Buffalo
716-891-4760
www.cdacts.com
2-day open air event, with Gospel singing, preaching, free non-perishable food, clothing give-away, free pony rides, zoomobile, drill, step, drama teams, vendors, rides, health fair, youth and senior activities, free Bibles, recording artists, radio DJ appearance, Underground Railroad tours and family reunions

JULY - African American Family Festival Celebration

1364 Centre Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY
716-285-2920
This “family reunion” style celebration of cultural history and African American achievement attracts thousands annually. Traditional events include a talent show, vending market, health pavilion, hair and fashion show, and the Great Lakes State Baptist Convention Basketball Tournament Championship Games.

AUGUST - Pine Grill Jazz Reunion

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Best Street and Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-884-3620 or 716-884-2013
www.africancultural.org
During the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Pine Grill Nightclub was the jazz hot spot in the City of Buffalo. Jazz icons graced its stage and people from all walks of life met there. Everyone knew it was the place to be and be seen. Eventually, the Pine Grill Nightclub closed its doors and was demolished. Its reign, however, became a Buffalo legend. So, for two weekends each August since 1989, the African American Cultural Center presents the Pine Grill Jazz Reunion to honor the local, national and international artists who carry the legacy of jazz forward. The free concerts celebrate the legacy of jazz. From year to year, the Pine Grill Jazz Reunion is a highly anticipated Buffalo summer tradition that draws together thousands of Buffalonians, past and present, and attracts new visitors, to bring alive old memories and make new ones under the Buffalo summer sky.

AUGUST - Buffalo Karibana International Parade and Festival

Delaware Avenue at Niagara Square, Buffalo
716-836-2853
www.buffalokaribana.org
This three-day sister celebration to Toronto’s famous Caribana Festival includes a colorful parade, marketplace of Caribbean food, arts and crafts; soca, reggae and calypso entertainment and a fireworks display over Buffalo’s City Hall.

AUGUST - Buffalo Caribbean Islands Festival

LaSalle Park, Buffalo
716-432-0476
The Buffalo Caribbean Islands Festival is an authentic Caribbean carnival presented by Buffalo’s Caribbean Islands Organization, De Mas Camp and the Jamaican and American Association of Buffalo. The three-day event features a grand parade, a “Taste of the Island” party with Caribbean food, live music, and vendors; cultural, health and educational exhibits, a late night Boat Fiesta aboard the Miss Buffalo II and a late night party on the waterfront.

OCTOBER - Black Capital Network Economic Empowerment Conference and Expo

716-881-6066
www.thebcn.com
This conference is an economic summit emphasizing the importance of economic development, financial literacy, self-empowerment and the revitalization of urban communities. The conference features national and local presenters, business forums and vendor opportunities.

DECEMBER - Buffalo Kwanzaa Celebration

Various community locations
716-892-8515
The Buffalo Kwanzaa Celebration is held at a different community center and church each of the seven nights of the Nguzo Saba (seven principles of Kwanzaa). It allows people in all areas of the community the chance to participate in the ceremony. Each year, since 1981, Kwanzaa founder Maulana Karenga has been a part of the collective celebration in Buffalo, which is among only a few of its kind in the country. “First Night Kwanzaa” (Umoja/Unity -December 26), is a much-anticipated event traditionally held at the Langston Hughes Institute Center for Cultural History and Arts Education. It is a spiritually uplifting evening filled with African drumming, libations to the ancestors, children reciting the Nguzo Saba and families joining together to celebrate their heritage.

Cultural Institutions

Buffalo is among the few northern urban centers able to boast of two long-standing African American cultural institutions and two African American theater companies.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, INC.

Founded in 1956, the African American Cultural Center, Inc. is a not for profit multipurpose cultural arts performance and education agency dedicated to the development of urban Buffalo to its highest potential. The organization serves as a protectorate of the African American experience, a promoter of diversity education, a stronghold of cultural heritage, and a champion of African American youth in the City of Buffalo. The African American Cultural Center program includes: AACC Dance and Drum Performance Company, Pine Grill Jazz Reunion, Jumpin' Jambalaya Summer Program, AACC Cultural Enrichment Program and Educational Directives for After School.
ADDRESS
350 Masten Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
(716) 884-2013
Website: http://www.africancultural.org/

BUFFALO CITY BALLET CO. INC

Buffalo City Ballet Co, Inc. was established in 1972 as Buffalo Inner City Ballet to provide young people of color with opportunities to develop skills in classical dance, including ballet, tap and jazz. Its founding mission is to identify and refine talents through instruction and public performance.
ADDRESS
2495 Main Street
Tri-Main Building, Suite 351
Buffalo, NY 14214
(716) 833-1243
Website: http://www.buffalocityballet.com

LANGSTON HUGHES INSTITUTE

The Langston Hughes Institute Center for Cultural History and Arts Education is a non-profit organization that has been a catalyst for the development, preservation and promotion of African American heritage in the City of Buffalo since 1968. Its gallery features the work of Buffalo and regional African American artists. The facility is a central gathering place for cultural and community events, including the much anticipated annual "First Night Kwanzaa"(Umoja) celebration.
ADDRESS
25 High Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 783-9765
Website: http://www.africancultural.org/LangstonHughes.php

MUHAMMAD SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Muhammad School of Music was founded in 2000 by violinist Henri Muhammad to cultivate and refine the creative essence of all youth, in particular black and minority youth, through the study of classical music. Along with the traditional classical masters such as Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart, students study spiritual and contemporary pieces, as well as musical works from other cultures of the world. The curriculum also features lessons on the historical connection of the violin to Africa. The young musicians of Muhammad School of Music have performed with Bill Cosby at Kleinhan's Music Hall in Buffalo, at the Summer Music Tour 2001 in Chicago, and at the Million Family March in Washington D.C. in 2000.
ADDRESS
25 High Street
(housed in Langston Hughes Institute)
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 856-4877

PAUL ROBESON THEATRE AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER

The Paul Robeson Theatre at the African American Cultural Center is the oldest African American theater in Western New York. It was founded to nurture and showcase the artistic talents of African American playwrights, producers, directors, actors and stage technicians. In keeping with that mission, the PRT utilizes local performers in its productions, and commissions Buffalo and out-of-town artists to direct many of its plays. In addition to its stage component, the PRT consists of the Paul Robeson Adult and Children's Drama Workshop, and the Paul Robeson Technical Theatre Workshop. Both serve as a training ground for aspiring Buffalo area actors and actresses. The 130-seat Paul Robeson Theatre is housed in the African American Cultural Center. The season generally runs from September to June, with productions that focus on the African American experience. Also at the African American Cultural Center is the AACC Dance & Drum Performance Company, Inc., the first and oldest African American Dance Company in the City of Buffalo. It is fundamentally a repertory company that has focused on the celebration of cultural art and the institutionalization of African dance and music. The company is also available for live performances at special events.
ADDRESS
350 Masten Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
(716) 884-2013

Historic Sites & Landmarks

The African American experience as it relates to Buffalo is as broad, deep and symbolic as the Niagara River that Underground Railroad passengers crossed to freedom in Canada. Throughout the city and Buffalo Niagara region, historic safe houses, land markers, scenic locations and cultural institutions give testimony to this history and its relationship to the America that exists today.

BRODERICK PARK

Located at the foot of Ferry Street on the scenic Niagara River, a plaque in the park pays tribute to the men and women who crossed the water from that point to freedom in Canada.
ADDRESS
1170 Niagara Street
Buffalo, NY 14213
(716) 852-2356

BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

This National Historic Landmark was built in 1901 during the Pan-American Exposition and now houses the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. The research library includes a large repository of genealogical information and the museum features exhibits and an extensive collection of artifacts, manuscripts, books and photographs that chronicle the development of the Niagara Frontier.
HOURS
Mon: closed | Tues: 10am-5pm | Wed: 10am-5pm | Thur: 10am-5pm | Fri: 10am-5pm | Sat: 10am-5pm | Sun: 12pm-5pm
ADDRESS
25 Nottingham Court
Buffalo, NY 14216
(716) 873-9644
Website: http://www.buffalohistory.org

COLORED MUSICIANS CLUB

The Colored Musicians Club is the only remaining African American club of its kind in the United States. In 1999, it was designated a historical preservation site. Currently, the Club is promoting historical research and the preservation of jazz in Buffalo. Members offer free jazz lessons to community youth, and hold a jam session at the club on Sunday evenings.
ADDRESS
145 Broadway
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 855-9383
Website: http://www.coloredmusiciansclub.org

FOREST LAWN CEMETERY AND GARDEN MAUSOLEUM

Breathtaking 269-acre cemetery designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, founded in 1849. Outstanding examples of funerary art including the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Blue Sky Mausoleum. On the State and National registers of historic places. Forest Lawn also features the final resting sites of several famous African Americans including the gravesites of Mary B. Talbert and Reverend J. Edward Nash. President Millard Fillmore and Seneca Nation orator Red Jacket are also buried here. Guided tours in summer. Winter 7:30am-5pm; Summer 7:30am-7pm. Office hours Mon.-Sat. 8:30am-4:30pm, Sun. 10am-4pm. Open holidays.
ADDRESS
1411 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
(716) 885-1600
Website: http://www.forest-lawn.com

FREEDOM CROSSING: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN GREATER NIAGARA

The dramatic and heart-rending stories of the people who risked their lives for freedom, as well as the lasting heritage of their ancestors, can now be experienced at Freedom Crossing, the new Regional Underground Railroad Interpretive Center, on the campus of Niagara University in nearby Lewiston. Freedom crossing tells the story of the Underground Railroad in Buffalo Niagara through historic photographs, artifacts, stories, audio stations, and art. Brochures and maps are available to Underground Railroad historic sites.
ADDRESS
5795 Lewiston Road
Castellani Art Museum
Niagara University, NY 14109
(716) 286-8200
Website: http://www.niagara.edu/cam

MICHIGAN STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

A station on the Underground Railroad. It is the oldest property continuously owned, operated and occupied by African-Americans in Western New York.
ADDRESS
511 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 854-7976
Website: http://www.themichiganstreetbaptistchurch.org

NASH HOUSE

The former residence of the Rev. J. Edward Nash, the pastor of the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church. Many of Rev. Nash's sermons and letters that are a crucial part of Buffalo's African-American community history were written here and are on display for viewing. Open tours by appointment.
HOURS
Mon: Closed | Tues: Closed | Wed: Closed | Thur: 11:30am-4pm | Fri: Closed | Sat: 10am-4pm | Sun: Closed
ADDRESS
36 Nash Street
Buffalo, NY 14204
(716) 856-4490
Website: http://www.nashhousemuseum.org

Food for the Soul

From genuine Southern soul food, to satisfying Jamaican roti to exquisite Pacific Rim cuisine and sinful homemade four-layer chocolate cake, Buffalo offers dining from throughout the diaspora of the African American experience.

4-H Tip Top Health Food Store

3221 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo
716-862-4549
Sunday - Thursday, 12 pm - 5 pm
Friday, 10 am - 1 pm

Albert Young and Sons Cakes, Inc.

1661 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
716-838-2640
Tuesday-Friday, 9 am - 6 pm
Saturday, 9 am - 12 pm

The Café at Masten & Eaton

230 Masten Avenue, Buffalo
716-883-2311
Southern cuisine
Monday - Thursday, 12 pm - 10 pm
Friday and Saturday, 12 pm - 12 am
Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm

The Caribbean Experience

2897 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo
716-838-5131
Monday - Thursday, 12 pm - 10 pm
Friday and Saturday, 12 pm - 4 am
Sunday, 2:30 - 10 pm

Destini’s Take-Out

900 Main Street, Buffalo
716-845-5555
Monday - Thursday, 11 am - 11pm
Friday, 11 am - 12 am
Saturday, 12 pm - 12 am
Sunday, 1 pm - 10 pm

Doctor Bird’s Caribbean Corner

842 E. Delevan Avenue, Buffalo
716-892-7454
Monday - Thursday, 10:30 am - 10 pm
Friday - Saturday, 10:30 am - 11 pm

Doctor Bird’s Caribbean Rasta-Rant

3104 Main Street, Buffalo
716-837-6426
Monday - Thursday, 11 am - 9:45 pm
Friday - Saturday, 10:30 am - 11 pm

Donnie’s Smokehouse

883 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo
716-884-2191
Barbecue
Wednesday - Friday, 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, 12 pm - 7 pm

Em Tea Coffee Cup Cafe

80 Oakgrove Avenue at Hughes Street, Buffalo
716-884-1444
Coffee, tea, smoothies, light fare, pastries and desserts. Open mic poetry
Tuesday, 6:30 - 9 pm
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, 7 am - 6 pm
Tuesday, 7 am - 9 pm
Sunday, 9 am - 2 pm

Gigi’s Restaurant

257 E. Ferry Street, Buffalo
716-883-1438
Old-fashioned soul food
Monday - Sunday, 6 am - midnight

Ingram Brothers Catering

110 Fox Street, Buffalo
716-308-6780
Old-fashioned soul food
Monday - Sunday, 6 am - midnight

Mattie’s Restaurant

1412 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-597-0755
Soul food specialties, featuring “the Best Breakfast in Town”
Monday - Thursday, 7 am - 7 pm
Friday - Saturday, 7 am - 8 pm
Sunday, 7 am - 5 pm

Palm Tree Caribbean Restaurant

69 Allen Street, Buffalo
716-886-5501
Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 10 pm
Friday - Saturday, 9 am - 11 pm

Pandora’s Sports Bar & Restaurant

2261 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-803-1335
Sunday - Wednesday, 4 pm - 1 am
Thursday, 2 pm - 1 am
Friday, 11 am - 4 am
Saturday, 4 pm - 4 am

Somali Star

195 Grant Street, Buffalo
716-602-8989
African cuisine
Monday - Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm

Shopping Stops

Black Buffalonians have deep roots as entrepreneurs and shopkeepers. Today, African American owned businesses in the Queen City offer everything from women’s wear, men’s fashions and phat urban threads, to eclectic collectibles to rich ancestral clothing and cloth, jewelry, art, oils & incense.

Clothing and Accessories

Be You Tiful

513 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo
716-887-2400
Monday - Wednesday, 11 am - 6 pm
Thursday - Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm

Eleanor’s

1434 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
716-837-3493
Monday - Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm

The House of Randolph

70 Allen Street, Buffalo
716-885-5327
Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 6 pm

LaBelle Mode, Inc.

1258 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga
716-895-1234
Monday-Friday, 11 am - 6 pm (year-round)
Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm (Sept. 1 - mid June)

Lifestyle Street Gear

3405 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo
716-831-1007
Monday, 10 am - 10 pm
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 11 pm
Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm

Look Great Fashions

1340 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-896-5210
Monday - Friday, 11 am - 7 pm

Jazzy Shoes

3135 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo
716-835-7690
Monday - Thursday, 10 am - 6 pm
Friday - Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm

Mr. G’s Fashions

199 Allen Street, Buffalo
716-882-0424
Monday, Friday, Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm
Tuesday, 11 am - 6:30 pm
Wednesday - Thursday, 10 am - 6:30 pm

New Era Cap

160 Delware Avenue, Buffalo
716-604-9000
Sunday-Saturday, 9 am-6 pm

United Men’s Fashion

3082 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo
716-837-0100
Monday - Wednesday, 10 am - 6:45 pm
Thursday - Friday, 10 am- 7:45 pm
Saturday, 10 am - 5:15 pm

Walden Galleria Mall

One Walden Galleria, Cheektowaga
716-681 1903
www.waldengalleria.com
Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 9:30 pm
Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm

African/Afrocentric

African Styles

168 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo
716-603-7571
Senegalese clothing, African / Afro-Centric jewelry, art, and accessories
Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm

Afrika/Bead-It

Prime Outlets Niagara Falls USA
2064 Military Road, Niagara Falls
716-297-5638
Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm

Allen Street Connection

93 Allen Street, Buffalo
716-884-9481
Handcrafted silver; Afro-centric clothing and accessories
Monday - Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm

Flight 104

102 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo
716-882 1925
Clothing, art, jewelry
Monday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 6 pm

Gift/Specialty Shops

Doris Records
286 E. Ferry Street, Buffalo
716-883-2410
Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 10 pm

Fraternally Yours

2460 Main Street, Buffalo
716-837-6360
Gifts and cards
Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm

Harold’s Curiosity Shoppe

85 Allen Street, Buffalo
716-362-2552
Rare antiques and collectibles
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 9 am - 5 pm
Thursday, 9 am - 7 pm
Saturday, 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday, 12 pm - 4:30 pm

Talking Leaves Books

3158 Main Street, Buffalo
716-837-8554
www.tleavesbooks.com
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday,
10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday - Thursday, 10 am - 8 pm

Talking Leaves Books

951 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo
716-884-9524
www.tleavesbooks.com
Monday - Thursday, 10 am - 9 pm
Friday, 10 am - 10 pm
Saturday, 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday, 10 am - 6 pm

the night scene

Buffalo’s night scene reflects a diverse array of entertainment options. Here are some top spots for an evening out on the town.

Fountain Blue Lounge

943 Kensington Avenue, Buffalo
716-836-8846
Urban adult, R&B
Sunday - Thursday, 4 pm - 2 am
Friday - Saturday, 4 pm - 4 am

Humboldt Inn

487 Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo
716-884-6430
Urban adult
Dancing, bar, live jazz on Sundays
Monday - Sunday 12 pm - 4 am

Jazzy’s

2227 Genesee Street, Buffalo
716-895-4471
Urban adult, nightclub, dancing, food
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, 6 pm - ?
Thursday-Saturday, 6 pm - 4 am

La Luna

52 West Chippewa Street, Buffalo
716-855-1292
Latin, salsa, merengue, reggae
Dancing, bar, food
Friday - Sunday, 7 pm - 4 am

Lee’s Lounge

1261 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716-893-9077
Urban adult, R&B
Monday-Sunday 10:30 am - 4 am

The New Golden Nugget

2046 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
716- 834-3967
Urban adult, jazz, R&B, oldies
Dancing, bar, food
Monday - Thursday, 4 pm - 10 pm
Friday - Sunday, 4 pm - 2 am