ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Resilience has long been part of the Amazing American story: surviving hardship, rebuilding, and thriving again against the odds. In Asheville, that spirit is embodied by a historic Black business district known as “The Block,” a community that nearly vanished but is now experiencing a revival.
Located along Eagle and Market streets, near downtown Asheville, the district emerged in the late 1800s following the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. Bordered by the city’s police and fire departments and Biltmore Avenue, the area became a center of African American commerce and culture during the time of segregation.
“What comes out of that is the beautiful African American community that was known as ‘The Block,’” said Rev. Sean Palmer, CEO of the YMI Cultural Center…