The words of the Moulin Rouge Agreement rang out as a reminder of Las Vegas’ pivotal step toward racial justice years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the law of the land. The agreement marked the end of discriminatory policies that had barred Black residents from Las Vegas’ gleaming Strip casinos. On Wednesday, those gathered at the Harrison House commemorated the proclamation’s anniversary.

To help bring that history to life, Beals partnered with Claytee White, a longtime African American historian in Las Vegas and the founder of History in Living Color. White previously served as UNLV’s oral history director for more than two decades.

In 1953, Marble Manor became home to a growing number of Las Vegas residents at a time when adequate housing was scarce — especially for African-Americans who were barred from living in many parts of the city. What began as a necessary housing development soon became a cornerstone of community life on the Historic Westside. Now, as we prepare to launch an oral history project and documentary chronicling Marble Manor’s legacy, we are asking for your help.

Historians say the contributions of Black women during that era helped shape the city’s cultural and economic identity.

One of this work’s main contributions is the analysis of the relationship between a difficult past and a tourism-oriented future, heard in the voices of those who are often ignored but directly affected by planning strategies and policies.

The Moulin Rouge Agreement opened Strip casinos to Black patrons, but full workplace integration took more than a decade longer