The Stroll

Barnes noticed a pattern in communities that he came to call “the stroll.” This term characterized the main corridors of Black neighborhoods across the country that were home to the commercial activities of the community. Today, Florida’s Black Main Street communities are historic evidence of the stroll. 

Florida’s strolls were a significant part of the Circuit, especially since Barnes was based in Jacksonville during the winter. Barnes established a winter headquarters in Jacksonville in 1933 to conduct annual late-fall-to-spring Southern tours. Barnes elaborated on the stroll in Jacksonville and Florida in his writings in the Defender. 

Sadly, Barnes lost his life in a tragic nightclub fire along with other members of his band in 1940. Despite his death, Barnes’ success in touring across the south encouraged numerous acts to follow the circuit during segregation. And a successor in Indianapolis stepped into the world of promotion, effectively taking over where Barnes left off.