A small city in South Carolina honors Littlejohn Grill with a historical marker after the club became notorious for allowing Black musicians and patrons to gather during segregation, the Associated Press reported.  

The nightclub opened at the end of World War II and remained in operation until the 1960s. The venue became a place that welcomed many blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll entertainers. The Clemson community was entertained by such legends as James Brown, Harry Belafonte and Ray Charles.  

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The Littlejohn Grill became a part of a collection of establishments, known as the “Chitlin Circuit,” where Black entertainers could showcase their talents during a period where Jim Crow laws prevented their access to whites-only venues.  

Horace Littlejohn was the club’s owner until it closed and the building was torn down in the 1980s. The Littlejohn Community Center sits in the original space today.  

The director of Littlejohn Community Center, Adraine Garner, said she was pleased to know that even after his death, the Clemson community is commemorating her grandfather’s work. 

“It was just a lot of honor,” said Garner. “You know my grandfather worked hard. It just shows that people still have respect for my grandfather, still in the 21st century.” 

The idea of having a state historical marker on the community center is something that was petition by the City of Clemson and the Pickens County Historical Society, according to Edwin Breeden, who is in charge of the historical markers for the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.