Cultural Impact
Artistic Culture
As the first stage in Columbus opened to African American performers, the Liberty Theatre allowed the arts in the tri-city area to flourish as famous performers from across the Chitlin Circuit travelled to perform for the local community. From the theatre's opening in 1925 to its closure in 1974, famous musicians such as Cab Calloway, Ma Rainey, Duke Ellington, and Mariam Anderson were known to frequent the Liberty Theatre, exposing the local community to musical disciplines and cultures that were otherwise overlooked by other exclusionary spaces nearby.
The Liberty Theatre and the greater Columbus even influenced the touring artists who performed on the local stage, such as R&B artist Fats Domino. His song, "Walking to New Orleans," is considered to have been inspired by his journey from Columbus after he visited in the Autumn of 1957. After a disastrous gambling loss after his performance in the city, he declared he was going to write a song about it on his walk to New Orleans.
Columbus's art scene grew and developed massively as Black artists were given a platform to perform and introduce new kinds of music from across the nation. Without the Liberty Theatre, the artistic exchange necessary for a thriving arts scene may not have been able to flourish in the way it did.
Social Impact
The Liberty Theatre at its core is a positive cultural and social impact. As one of the first black theatres in the country, its value on the community around it was and is immeasurable. It was a cultural center for many years that held regular events, shows, showings, performances, and competitions. It gave people a place to learn, to gather, and to thrive, and it is beginning to bring back this positive influence once again.
The Liberty Theatre would hold events where people could learn and perform different dances that were popular or watch famous performers sing and dance. There were regular movie showings and events for children where their parents could drop them off for an afternoon to socialize. The theatre often held competitions for dancing, singing, and performing with prizes as well, fostering a great sense of community within Columbus and the tri-city area.
Educational Impact
The Liberty Theatre was a cultural hub, for both adults and children. On Saturdays people could bring bottle caps in to watch movies, creating a space for relaxation and entertainment. This bottle-cap system served as a motivation for students, with parents encouraging good grades to facilitate attendance. (The Liberty Theatre - A Narrative Outline (1)) The Liberty also served as a facility for student performance. Olive Vidal Kendall spoke to the Liberty Staff about the ballet recitals she used to perform in at the Theatre in a video interview.
In the 1980s the Liberty was being renovated through a joint effort by the Golden Owelletes Corporation and Tuskegee University. One of these goals was to keep the Liberty alive through artistic, social, and educational endeavors. These renovations were unfortunately paused due to a myriad of multiple natural disasters. In the 2020’s the Liberty Renovations resumed through the Consolidated Government of Columbus with the goal of reviving the historical significance of the theatre in the community. They currently offer free Jazz performances through the Columbus Jazz Society, another instance of community outreach.