family video movie club inc. is an american video rental chain located in the united states and canada .

the family-owned company is headquartered in glenview , illinois , and has over 775 stores in north america with the heaviest concentration in the midwest .

in 2013 , the company surpassed blockbuster , which was in decline , as the largest video rental chain in the united states .

family video

family legacy video | life story video biography servicesfamily legacy video | your life story in a custom video biography .
a unique gift : celebrate a life with a video biography , family history video , personal history video , video memoir or legacy video from award winning your story here llc .
we design a personalized and unique dvd box slip cover for your video biography or family history video .
children can be involved in family history as well as adults . this video shows one family ' s experience of doing family history together .
family legacy video® is a leading video biography company . our professional legacy video and audio services help families , family storytellers , and family offices pass along life stories , lessons learned , and family values from one generation to the next – in the form of custom personal legacy video and audio biographies .
with over 700 locations , there ' s a family video location near you .
we have delighted hundreds of customers & their families and friends with our careful and caring video production and video editing work in our video biographies , family history videos , personal history videos and video memoirs .
but family video , a central illinois based video rental chain , isn’t fighting the tides of technology – it’s embracing it .
windsor is getting a second new video store after eye on video opened last week .
we are unbelievably grateful for the video that family legacy video created for my father’s ninetieth birthday . my husband and i have commented that giving dad the video histor . . .
defying the odds , family video is expanding stores , adding employees and leasing to retailers .
the interior of a family video store in glenview , illinois . ( photo : jamie kripke for forbes )
welcome to your story here video production and editing ! we help you create family and personal video projects like : video biography & celebration videos , tributes and memorials , oral histories , photo restoration & quality film transfers .
more information can be had at urltoken or at itv - 3 kiosks planted in some family video retail stores .
september 7 , 2006 – amazon launches its amazon unbox online video - on - demand service , which would later become amazon video on demand and ultimately amazon instant video .
we create
a & e
style video biographies , legacy videos and family history films along with veterans ' video , video memorials , life story & genealogy video , personal history videos and other biography projects on dvd , blu - ray , usb , or for posting to the web .
family history videos are personal documentaries that can preserve the story of a family in its own words and are a way to connect the leaves of a family tree for future generations . many people have the desire to share their family’s history , but they don’t have the skills to do it in a video .
family video , a us - based chain is opening a dvd rental store at 1290 tecumseh road east ( at hall ) .
while family video is private , hoogland told fairchild that the company has boasted positive same - store - sales for 30 years .
to date we have distributed over thirty - five copies of my mother’s video to family members . we started with our close family , mother’s younger sister and sister - in - law . . . .
it’s no secret that the rising popularity in home video streaming has taken a piece of the home entertainment pie from video retail stores .
my family legacy video ® is perhaps the most valuable possession i will ever own . it is an irreplaceable treasure for my children , my children’s children . in his video , my f . . .
but family video , a chain with more than 700 stores in the midwest and canada , tells the huffington post that business is thriving .
if you came in and looked at my books , you would see the video rental business is far from dying ,
keith hoogland , president of family video , told huffpo ' s caroline fairchild .
apple
certified pro
video editor and an enviable record of on - time delivery of creative documentaries and web video where interviews are a key component . > > > video editing & production . . .
keith hoogland , president of family video , in front of a company outlet in glenview , illinois . ( photo : jamie kripke for forbes )
most family video stores are open 10am until midnight every day , though hours may vary by location . please call your local store to confirm .
you’ve got the life stories . family legacy video® has the expertise to help you celebrate your stories through custom - crafted legacy videos and legacy audio biographies you and your family will treasure - now and for generations to come .
the late linkin park frontman is seen laughing and having fun with his family as they experiment with different tasting jelly beans in the 40 - second video .
mike patenaude , of green bay , wis . , picks up his pizza at the marco ' s pizza
drive - thru
window that opens up to a family video store in green bay , wis . family video has started leasing space to other retailers as a way to combat the digital streaming wave .
her video of the family follows their 15 - year - old son , draven bennington , releasing three videos for national suicide prevention week after his father’s death .
every family has a storyteller . maybe it’s your grandmother or grandfather , your mom or dad , your aunt or uncle . don’t you love hearing them tell family stories ? shouldn’t future generations be able to enjoy these life stories too ? now they can – when you preserve your family history with a personal legacy video or a personal audio biography .
november 2001 – microsoft launches the second dvd - based video game console , xbox .
blockbuster didn ' t have to die . this video rental company proves it | huffpost
steve pender and his crew from family legacy video® were consummate professionals from start to finish of our project . steve and his crew faced many challenges in gathering histor . . .
having watched and absorbed the information in your producer’s guide i now feel well equipped and confident that i can produce a video biography which my family will be delig . . .
“i admire the guy [ family video president keith hoogland ] for hanging in there , ” pachter said . “it’s definitely not an easy industry to be in right now . ”
family legacy video , inc . copyright © 2003 - 2018 . all rights reserved . 888 . 662 . 1294 po box 86376 , tucson , az 85754 privacy & return policies sitemap
december 22 , 2006 – following a liquidation sale , tower records & video ceases operations .
blockbuster may be dead , but people are still going out and renting movies - - at least according to the president of the country ' s largest movie rental chain , family video .
i have just finished watching the “rosen family” dvds with my immediate family that included both my sisters , my son and my five nephews and their wives . we all were so . . .
family video also will use its real estate to lease to hair salons , tanning booths and fitness centers . and , the company is expanding its own fiber - to - home cable network .
“we know there is still a place in the market for physical media because folks like redbox and family video are still doing well , ” said dan rayburn , the executive vice president of streamingmedia . com , an online video industry news site . “it is still a multibillion - dollar business . ”
family video operates stores in nineteen states in the united states and is beginning an expansion to ontario with four stores : welland , sault ste . marie , lasalle ( 5935 malden road ) and windsor .
i bought a family legacy video® for my father for christmas . we did not know what to expect but steve and his crew were professional from beginning to end . from the preinterview t . . .
the cd guide did a good job of covering the beginning and production of a family history video . lighting was very detailed as was the interview technique . overall it is a great gui . . .
october 2000 – sony launches playstation 2 , the first video game console to incorporate dvd playback capability .
after seeing the video steve produced for my in - laws , i couldn’t wait to get his hands on my own parents’ treasure trove of family history and memories . i knew that by enlistin . . .
our family has such joy in knowing that we have preserved hazel ' s voice , her smile , and her stories on video . we have them to enjoy and share with our kids & their kids .
“we thought that if we could bring our fiber - optics to small midwestern towns , the type of towns where we have family video stores , and provide great customer service , that was a real opportunity because most of these towns were being underserved , ” dinkla said . “when family video purchased this company , we saw this opportunity . we wanted to have this ongoing relationship with our video store customers . what we saw is that larger companies in our industry had skipped over certain types of towns when it came to fiber . ”
when video rental giant blockbuster announced this week it would shutter its remaining 300 u . s . stores , headlines were quick to explain that netflix and other online video outlets killed the business . indeed , blockbuster ' s parent company dish said in a press release that customer demand for video entertainment is “clearly moving to digital . ”
march 12 , 2008 – hulu begins public streaming on content on its online video - on - demand service .
it looks like you may be having problems playing this video . if so , please try restarting your browser .
the passing of a life is a call to celebrate their precious time with us . we specialize in personal and tribute video for all occasions - the happiest to the very saddest . > > > video memorials . . .
customers at family video pay less than $ 3 for a rental . the chain also has negotiable late fees and free movie rentals for children . this customer - friendly environment keeps people coming back to the store to rent movies .
jennifer o’rourke is videomaker ‘s managing editor , an emmy award - winning producer and has done many family history videos .
steve , after viewing the video , it hit me so emotionally it has taken me two days to write to you . there are no words that i can say that would express to you what that video meant . . .
october 10 , 2005 – gamestop and eb games merge , creating the world ' s largest video game specialty retailer .
but the nation ' s largest brick - and - mortar rental business , family video , continues to defy the odds and is expanding its 800 - store midwest stronghold this year where stores are starting to add a secret ingredient : pizza .
a troubled foster teen , samantha , works to expose a dangerous supernatural imposter in her new family and rescue her foster sister .
hoogland
means
highland
in dutch . family video still accounts for nearly 90 % of the parent company ' s $ 450 million in annual revenue , and forbes estimates the chain ' s real estate is worth as much as $ 750 million .
november 20 , 2007 – “live free or die hard” is the first home video release to be accompanied by a “digital copy , ” a companion disc with a copy of the movie that can be loaded on to personal computer or portable video device for playback .
if you live outside middle america , you probably haven ' t heard of family video , which has roughly 770 stores mainly in the midwest and canada . the glenview , ill . , company opened about 18 new locations this year , president keith hoogland told the huffington post .
april 2006 – the video software dealers association merges with the interactive entertainment merchants association and the combined organization renames itself the entertainment merchants association .
chester bennington’s wife has shared a video of the late singer hours before he took his own life to show people what “depression looks like” .
“if you came in and looked at my books , you would see the video rental business is far from dying ,
he said .
j . lardener , fast forward : hollywood , the japanese , and the vcr wars ( 1987 ) ; f . wasser , veni , vidi , video : the hollywood empire and the vcr ( 2001 ) ; adams media research ; paul kagan associates , inc . ; video business ; video store magazine ( now home media magazine ) ; amazon . com ; blockbuster , inc . ; cinemanow ; family video ; hollywood entertainment , inc . ; movie gallery ; netflix , inc . ; redbox ; betainfoguide . com ; cedmagic . com ;
selling home movies
, los angeles times , ( july 5 , 2005 ) ; stewart , james b . , disneywar ( 2005 ; p . 92 ) .
the origins of family video can be traced to 1946 , when keith ' s grandfather clarence , a salesman , started a distribution business , midstates appliance & supply co . , in springfield , illinois . seven years later , keith ' s father , charlie , took over . in the 1970s the company started getting squeezed : its core customers , mom - and - pop appliance shops , were going out of business , and its main suppliers were forgoing distributors in favor of direct sales . in 1978 , left with just a few pieces of real estate and an oversupply of videocassette tapes , charlie launched the video movie club of springfield , a precursor to family video and one of the first movie - rental stores in the u . s .
blockbuster’s demise was accelerated by poor management and a scattered strategy , rayburn said . the video giant attempted several awkward leaps into the world of digital video , but never succeeded . in the end , blockbuster ended up isolating a lot of customers and destroying their once - vibrant brand in the process .
that advantage has helped family video attract business outside of broadband deserts and beyond aging loyal customers . its typical patron is 35 to 45 years old , but hoogland believes younger customers are coming in greater numbers . the chain ' s average store still pulls in roughly half a million dollars in annual revenue .
in 1946 , clarence hoogland started midstates appliance & supply company . in 1953 , clarence’s son , charlie hoogland , took over the company . in the 1970s , midstates got “stuck” with a large quantity of videos . charlie’s team got the idea to rent the videos , and in 1978 family video was founded .
hoogland said family video will hire 2 , 000 new employees this year and is chopping up his 8 , 000 - square - foot stores to diversify with other retailers . most notably , a partnership with ohio - based marco ' s pizza means movie - lovers can get a flick and pie delivered in one run .
2000 – video sell - through revenue totals $ 8 . 6 billion , surpassing theatrical box office ( $ 7 . 7 billion ) for the first time .
“it’s a misconception that the industry sank with blockbuster and hollywood video . those were horribly run companies that grew too fast and took on too much debt . ”
in 2009 , family video purchased the peoria - based telecom firm bitwise . soon remarketed as itv - 3 , the company now offers ultra high - speed internet , tv and phone throughout peoria , and to residences in pekin and morton . the company is growing , too , with service soon expanding to east peoria and bloomington .
one result is that family video outlets have become gathering places in many smaller towns .
if you walked in on a friday or saturday night , you ' d be amazed at how busy our stores are ,
hoogland says .
people like the experience . it ' s kind of like a local coffee shop .
i haven’t received my oscar yet but everyone has enjoyed and complimented charlie and me for our history ! not only family but neighbors too , who insisted on watching it .
disney ' ' s classic story of peter pan is back . join peter pan and tinker bell in this family film as they take three small children on an adventure of their lives . the excitement explodes when they come face to face with captain hook and his crew . this magical video has exclusive footage of the making of peter pan .
2003 – wal - mart / san ' s club tops blockbuster in u . s . video revenues , marking the first time that a sellthrough retailer was the market leader .
to value one’s origins is to value one’s life . this legacy video will provide each generation a better understanding of their roots . it gave me a deeper appreciation . . .
we want to express our appreciation for the dvds you made covering four generations of the tullock family . they will be treasured by current generations and generations yet to come . . .
november 17 , 2006 – sony ' s playstation3 , the first video game console to incorporate a built - in high - definition disc drive , is released in the u . s .
in granite city , illinois , a sleepy town of 29 , 000 where the laws of time seem not to apply , a just - opened family video storefront beckons customers with signs promoting the latest hollywood blockbusters . inside , long rows of dvds line aisles festooned with placards offering two movie rentals for a dollar , and at the register a smiling cashier greets regulars by name .
i’ve wanted to produce personal histories for my family and some women i know for years now , and this is the year i’m finally going to take action ! i think it’s g . . .
2003 – movie gallery expands to all 50 states and reaches 2 , 000 stores , making it the second - largest video specialty retailer in the u . s . in terms of store count .
steve , i wanted to say “thank you” for the great effort in working with my dad , uncle and me in developing the video remembering my grandfather , and capturing what a po . . .
i just watched my dad’s video and was very impressed . i know there was substantial editing , and it all came together beautifully . the photos were such a nice addition to the . . .
our entrepreneurial spirit is what makes family video grow . recent efforts include opening marco ' s pizza restaurants adjacent to our brick and mortar stores to offer one - stop shopping for dinner and entertainment , sister companies such as digital doc , a digital device repair and sales store , and stayfit - 24 , state - of - the - art fitness centers that offer workouts in a clean and safe environment .
steve , thank you for a wonderful job on my video biography . i was impressed with the professionalism of you and your crew . i especially liked the way you supplemented the photos an . . .
after his wife and daughter are kidnapped while visiting family in mexico , a successful new york businessman is forced to go to extreme lengths in order to track them down and get his revenge on those responsible .
family video has taken a different approach . instead of accepting discounted movies in exchange for agreements to split revenue , as blockbuster did , it has opted to buy films outright and keep 100 % of rental proceeds , which has paid off in the long run . hoogland has also kept his stores entirely company - owned , and he keeps costs down by making many of the items needed for new locations in - house
i can’t even begin to tell you what amazing job you did on my mom’s video and how appreciative and touched i am . i am especially impressed with how you managed to fit in al . . .
our dream is to produce a documentary - style production ( probably on the life of my 80 - yr . old father ) with video , narration and so on . your cd “producer’s guide” . . .
a shy graduate gets dragged on a wild road trip across america to a fraternity party by his soon - to - be stepbrothers , as his mother marries into a larger - than - life , american family .
as a major storm approaches the outskirts of atlantic city , a newly sober police detective goes to extreme measures to make sure that his estranged family does not fall victim to the vengeance of a local crime lord .
a young couple deliberately moves into a haunted house to contact the other side . until their conduit , a painted black mirror proves to contain a malevolent presence hell - bent on bringing harm to their new family .
jennifer , an excellent job of explaining the process for producing these special family history videos . i enjoyed every , single word . i need to refer this article at all the sites i visit and participate in .
dear steve , in what ways am i pleased with the family history website you produced for us ? let me count the ways : your responsiveness – when i sent you an item , you promptly . . .
we are the largest movie and game rental chain in the united states . we operate over 700 family video stores in 19 u . s . states and canada . our unique property - ownership model makes us a different sort of retailer because we buy and develop most of our buildings and land . we have developed more than 600 retail strip centers and count fortune 500 companies as well as mom and pop retailers among our tenants .
we were very pleased with every phase of the legacy video process . you were great and very helpful along the way . the crew who came to the house the day of the shoot were quite goo . . .
my husband and i watched the video you made of my parents . the quality of the visuals , the sound , and the way you had my parents so relaxed and comfortable was well displayed in th . . .
family video , on the other hand , is pretty committed to its brick - and - mortar strategy . customers pay less than $ 3 for a movie rental , late fees are negotiable and children ' s movies rent for free - - a key draw for , well , families . the company is privately held and does not disclose its financial information . but according to hoogland , his company has seen 30 consecutive years of increases in same - store sales , revenues and profits . in october , he said , the video rental chain had its most successful month ever since 1978 - - with same - store sales expanding 4 . 5 percent from last year .
michael pachter , a research analyst covering digital media for wedbush securities , said hoogland’s competitive pricing on videos will be key to his future success . pachter estimated that family video probably generates around $ 800 , 000 in revenue annually in each of its stores . the fact that hoogland owns a majority of his store’s properties , pachter added , helps keep operating costs lower than they ' d be otherwise , which in turn could help drive up profits .
january 4 , 2008 – warner home video deals what will be the death blow to the hd dvd format when it announces that it would abandon hd dvd and release high - definition videos exclusively on blu - ray discs .
your workshops were wonderful . you not only gave us the hands - on knowledge of how to create a legacy video , but shared with us your years of experience using film , music , and user - . . .
as a newly engaged couple gathers family and friends together to make an announcement , what begins as a celebration turns into disaster as secrets surface . one night , one mistake , one dinner unravels the lives of four people forever .
i just wanted you to know how much we have enjoyed the video of my parents ! you did a wonderful job . it is a memory we will cherish forever . thank you for sharing your time with my . . .
we are an award - winning boutique video production company based in southern california . jane lehmann - shafron is the co - owner and is responsible for all client services . > > > view jane ' s profile . . .
the number of video rental storefronts in the u . s . has dropped dramatically , to 6 , 122 in 2012 from 28 , 000 in 1999 , according to the entertainment merchants association , an industry trade group . but family video seems to show that in some areas of the country , there are still lots of people who just want to go out and spend a few dollars to rent a movie . not everyone is holed up at home binge - watching house of cards . in fact , many physical stores have been replaced by rental kiosks like redbox - - and in 2012 there were 46 , 000 in the country , sean bersell , a spokesman for the entertainment merchants association , noted .
set up a pre - interview to get all the information you think you might need to run the interview smoothly . you might also conduct a pre - interview with other family members to get insights into important events in the person’s life .
before posting the video , ms bennington wrote : “my next tweet is the most personal tweet i have ever done . i ' m showing this so that you know that depression doesn ' t have a face or a mood . ”
keith acknowledges that his movie rental empire won ' t last forever , but he sees family video as an easy way to expand his real estate portfolio , which has no obvious expiration date . the formula is simple : open a store , use rental sales to pay off the mortgage and hold on to the property .
in five years we ' ll still be here ,
he says , grinning .
we ' re going to hang on for quite a while .
eager to maintain momentum , hoogland continues to work seven days a week , though he ' s been cutting back lately to make room for his children to enter the business . so far just one of his six kids , his eldest son , mclain , a former marine , works at highland ventures . mclain runs a few of the company ' s smaller projects , including highland pure water & ice , which sells purified water out of kiosks next to family video branches located in communities with poor infrastructure .
june 2010 – hampered by debt it incurred to acquire hollywood video , movie gallery – which operated more than 4 , 700 stores at its peak – liquidates its stores and ceases operation , leaving blockbuster as the sole national brick and mortar rental chain .
hoogland insists that family video had no trouble competing with bigger players , and he sees few parallels between those companies and his own .
everybody thought the reason they went away was because of digital ,
he says .
but in reality that wasn ' t the case . they weren ' t very well - run businesses . they had a lot of debt , leases that were poorly negotiated , and they also were sharing revenue with studios quite a bit . they made a lot of poor decisions .
passing down information from generation to generation helps define who we are and there’s a new movement in capturing family histories . everywhere people are jumping on the personal genealogical search bandwagon , creating a personal archeological dig into their own past through websites like ancestry . com . but telling a story in written form is one thing , how do you make it into a video ? this is quite a daunting task – where do you find the subjects and how do you make visuals of events that have no visuals to illustrate ?
but family video has more going for it than nostalgia . most significantly , copyright agreements on motion pictures are often less stringent for physical videos than for streamed content , meaning that rental stores frequently have access to new releases weeks , or even months , before netflix or hulu get them .
movies are still unique in that renting them in a store and on a disc is really the only way to circumvent rights issues that exclusively lock up content ,
says tony wible , media and entertainment analyst at drexel hamilton .
everyone in justine ' s family is a vet . and a vegetarian . at 16 , she ' s a brilliant and promising student . when she starts at veterinary school , she enters a decadent , merciless and dangerously seductive world . during the first week of hazing rituals , desperate to fit in whatever the cost , she strays from her family ' s principles when she eats raw meat for the first time . justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences of her actions as her true self begins to emerge . . .
steve , as you know , charlie was a little hesitant at first to spend $ 20 , 000 - plus on a video , but i will tell you it has been the best money ever spent . he is so excited about the v . . .
june 12 , 2005 – movies unlimited , which claimed to be the first store specializing in video , closes after operating in the same location for 27 years . the owner decided to close when the building was sold . the business continued as a mail order enterprise .
consumers spent $ 1 billion at brick - and - mortar rental stores in 2013 , compared with $ 2 billion at kiosks , and $ 5 . 2 billion for video - on - demand and streaming subscriptions , a year - end report from the digital entertainment group shows .
and the granite city store is defying odds , humming along in an industry most people assume has ceased to exist . in fact , the business is
doing gangbusters ,
says its owner , keith hoogland , who has grown family video into a sprawling chain of 759 locations spread across 19 states and canada , with a concentration in the midwest and rural america and with more grand openings on the way .
i ' m 57 years old ,
says hoogland ,
and this is the most exciting time i ' ve ever had in my life .
suspense and screams abound in this shocking true story based on the most infamous unsolved murder case in american history . on april 11th , 1981 , sue sharp and her family are enjoying their stay at cabin 28 in the peaceful holiday resort of keddie . but a day of fun at the remote getaway turns into a heart - stopping nightmare as nightfall brings masked strangers to the cabin . a brutal battle for survival leaves several members of the family dead and one missing . an extensive police investigation follows but no one is convicted of the crime . now , over thirty years later , cabin 28 finally gives up its deadly secret .
as any documentary filmmaker can tell you , documentary making is a notoriously time - consuming business ! the best way to make the most of your time and investments is to employ pre - production planning . videomaker moderator and contributing editor , earl chessher , makes commemorative videos for a living through his business , video storytellers .
your story here are professional , dedicated , and thorough . they provide a personal touch that makes them unmatched in customer service and satisfaction . they worked with us to provide a video biography for my parents ' 50th wedding anniversary that also fit into our budget . . . i am beyond impressed with their work .
at a young age , ashley and ben witnessed the brutal murder of their parents . years later , ashley is still convinced it wasnt someone , but something that killed her parents and now shes tormented by the thought of the rake returning for her and her family . is ashley traumatized or is her fears of this creature inside her real ?
scientists working at a top - secret government research facility are conducting experiments to resurrect a dinosaur using prehistoric dna . the scientists believe the experiment will lead to fame and fortune but instead it leads to death and destruction when the terrifying t - rex grows at an accelerated pace . after rampaging through the research centre the fearsome creature escapes into nearby devil ' s creek where a family are enjoying a summer vacation . as the government hires a squad of deadly mercenaries to lead a search and destroy mission , the family realise that terror is not extinct as they face the deadly wrath of the primeval predator . it ' s man against the most vicious beast of all time - and neither will survive while the other is alive .
everyone deserves a great love story . but for seventeen - year old simon spier it ' s a little more complicated : he ' s yet to tell his family or friends he ' s gay and he doesn ' t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he ' s fallen for online . resolving both issues proves hilarious , terrifying and life - changing .
today , family video is the dominant player in rural america , where 90 % of its stores reside . there , many customers either have limited access to high - speed internet or are reluctant to adopt alternatives like redbox , netflix and hulu . inside the stores , employees greet every customer who walks through the door , often by name ; kids ' movies are always free to rent ; and late fees are negotiable . when new locations open , the ribbon - cutting ceremony is a community affair , complete with face - painting stations , promotional giveaways and snow cone machines . almost all of hoogland ' s top executives started in one of his stores , and many employees have enjoyed benefits like full - tuition scholarships for their children .
the big sick is based on the real - life courtship between pakistan - born comedian kumail nanjiani ( kumail nanjiani ) and grad student emily gordon ( zoe kazan ) who fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash . when emily contracts a mysterious illness , kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents , his family ' s expectations , and his true feelings .
keith and d . j . are two college - bound football stars struggling to balance sports , family , and friendship . once keith is tempted by the fast money of the street , he brings d . j . into the action . soon they find themselves putting their entire future on the line and realize in the game of life nothing is certain , not even football .
after the death of his clan master , wu - lin leaves the village for the city of stone - cold to protect the daughter of the richest family in the city , fei - fei . when the citys most dangerous gang attempts to kidnap fei - fei , wu - lin is forced to fight them alone and discovers an even more sinister power is taking over the city .
the dvd rental business is not hurting and we ' ve seen year - over - year growth each year for almost 30 years ,
said keith hoogland , president of the illinois - based chain .
it ' s a misconception that the industry sank with blockbuster and hollywood video . those were horribly run companies that grew too fast and took on too much debt .
“supernatural” is going “back to basics” in season 12 , executive producer bob singer promised at comic - con – with a focus on family reminiscent of the first two seasons , as sam ( jared padalecki ) and dean ( jensen ackles ) must deal with the return of their mother , mary ( samantha smith ) , the escape of lucifer , and the apparent threat presented by another branch of the men of letters organization .
everything from shelving to point - of - sale software . most important , though , the company owns just about all the real estate underpinning its stores . as a result , hoogland has been able to adapt now that sales are beginning to fall . he has shrunk the square footage of many of the video stores , put up drywall and leased out space to other companies , like subway and h & r block .
“john lied about his age in 1942 to join the navy . as a child , he read a tale of a man lost at sea – alone with the elements , learning the struggles of survival that stayed with him while his family suffered during the depression . he was deeply moved by the tale , which influenced his decision to run away to sea at 17 years old , ” adds interest and drama to otherwise distant historical dates .
brimming with energy , hoogland tries to explain how all of this is possible . after all , it ' s been more than five years since the big video chains , blockbuster and movie gallery , filed for bankruptcy , unable to compete in the digital age . at its peak blockbuster operated more than 9 , 000 outlets , bringing in $ 6 billion in annual revenue . today , just a few dozen of its stores remain .
get ready for a phe - gnome - nal adventure inside the secret world of garden gnomes ! when gnomeo ( james mcavoy ) and juliet ( emily blunt ) discover their friends and family have gone missing , theres only one gnome to call the legendary detective sherlock gnomes ( johnny depp ) . working together , the mystery takes them beyond the garden walls and across the city on an unforgettable journey to save the day and bring the gnomes home .
black lightning is an american superhero television series developed by salim akil , airing on the cw . it is based on the dc comics character of the same name , created by tony isabella . it stars cress williams as the titular character alongside china anne mcclain , nafessa williams , christine adams , marvin jones iii , damon gupton , and james remar . the series sees the retired black lightning return to the hero life and its effects on his family life .
imagine the end of the world . now imagine something worse . award - winning filmmaker trey edward shults follows his breakout debut krisha with the psychological horror thriller it comes at night , centering on a teenaged boy ( kelvin harrison , jr . ) as he grapples with mounting terrorsexternal and otherwisein the aftermath of an unnamed cataclysm . secure within a desolate home with his vigilant , protective and heavily armed parents ( joel edgerton and carmen ejogo ) , 17 - year - old travis navigates fear , grief and paranoia amid scarce resources as a desperate young couple ( christopher abbott and riley keough ) seeks refuge in his family home with their young child . despite the best intentions of both families , panic and mistrust boil over as the horrors of the outside world creep ever closer . but they are nothing compared to the horrors within , where travis discovers that his fathers commitment to protecting the family may cost him his soul .
based on the worldwide sensation and bestselling book series , and boasting an a - list cast of comedy superstars headed by kevin hart and ed helms , dreamworks animation brings audiences the long - awaited global movie event , captain underpants : the first epic movie . this raucously subversive comedy for the entire family tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters named george and harold , who hypnotize their principal into thinking he ' s a ridiculously enthusiastic , incredibly dimwitted superhero named captain underpants .
lost to an underworld of horrors dating back to the dawn of time , he ' s forced to acknowledge a foreboding destiny . upon discovering he ' s the last surviving member of the nash family , a historic clan of demon hunters , he ' s brutally left for dead , only to be saved by macy , a pure soul who is led by the mysterious blind prophet . in a bizarre twist of fate , through death , he ' s reborn the ultimate killer .
sins from the past return to terrorize the present in this shocker from the creators of halloween . when recent college - grad regan goes to a family ' s house to babysit their daughter for the weekend , she invites her three best gal pals along . what starts as a girls ' getaway becomes a journey into hell , as the young women discover the house is haunted by a dark and violent history involving a nazi ( andrew divoff ( wishmaster ) , his daughter , and an ancient artifact that feeds on fear .
chessher says , “on average , my clients seek what i call a ‘mini - documentary , ’ essentially involving them speaking from personal notes and letters and / or extemporaneously on the life and times of the family member being commemorated . they do the research , provide the materials and ask my guidance as to what works and what might not be necessary . during an initial one - hour ( on average ) planning session we develop an outline of what they have , what they want and the points they want to emphasize . ”
you can have either a narrator or first person account for the audio , but getting the video to cover up a talking head might be tricky . first gather ideas for what your clients might be able to illustrate . do they have the historical facts already laid out ? let’s assume your subjects have been doing research on urltoken and know dates , places and names of the people they wish to highlight – they have the facts , they want you to bring life to them . how in the world do you do that ?
breaking your program into subtopics has many advantages : it’s easier to work piece by piece so you aren’t overwhelmed with the process and shorter segments are faster to watch and give you dvd menu options . an outline can also work as a template for family histories to follow , making the steps a little tighter and a little easier every time . one way to streamline several documentaries is to write standard interview questions for each segment . you can also pre - build your segment graphics , and pre - select your music , etc . , to expedite the process .
from academy award - winning producer brian grazer and jason blum comes a power drama set against the vibrant backdrop of east la ' s iconic car culture . danny ( gabriel chavarria ) , a talented young street artist , is caught between the lowrider community inhabited by his old - school father ( demin bichir ) and stepmother ( eva longoria ) and following in the dangerous path of his ex - con brother ( theo rossi ) . danny must decide between his quest for self - expression or following his family ' s tradition in this highly original and superbly acted film .
dr . paul kersey ( bruce willis ) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of his city ' s violence as it ' s rushed into his er - until his wife ( elisabeth shue ) and college - age daughter ( camila morrone ) are viciously attacked in their suburban home . with the police overloaded with crimes , paul , burning for revenge , hunts for his family ' s assailants to deliver justice . as the anonymous slayings of criminals grab the media ' s attention , the city wonders if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel . . . or a grim reaper .
when a 17 - year old girl goes missing , family man and distinguished college professor evan birch ' s ( guy pearce ) life is turned upside down as circumstantial evidence convinces gruff detective malloy ( pierce brosnan ) that birch is a prime suspect . as malloy begins to peel back the layers of birch ' s past indiscretions with female students , and his wife ( minnie driver ) begins to question his alibi , birch ' s life starts to unravel , and suddenly the questions that he ' s faced with aren ' t merely academic - they ' re a matter of life and death .
ellie is trying to juggle rhythmic gymnastics and troubles with her best friend , while jack is struggling to live up to his brothers ' hockey legacy and his dad ' s high expectations . when a text argument about who has it easier gets out of hand , ellie and jack trigger a real - life swap and switch bodies ! wanting to keep the swap hidden from their family and friends , ellie and jack work together to teach the other the ins and outs of what their life is like . with a rhythmic championship and a spot on the hockey team at risk , they must find a way to get back in their own bodies before the swap becomes permanent .
after the death of her father , 17 - year - old miranda merchant reluctantly arrives on the shores of selkie island to live with her estranged mother , amelia . as miranda settles into island life , she finds herself torn between tj , heir to one of the oldest selkie families , and mysterious bad boy leo who is part of the working - class
townies .
when miranda learns about the seawalkers - who , according to local legend , are half - human and half - sea creature - she begins to believe that they could be real . as she uncovers more about her family ' s past , miranda makes a startling discovery about her own connections to the seawalkers .
set in the war - torn 800ad scotland , this is the story of a young warrior - king named alpin . when his family is murdered by a rival pict king , alpin and his infant brother finn , are the sole escapees . alpin swears to one day return , seeking vengeance and regain his rightful claim to the throne . ten years later alpin and finn , return and come across a community whose children are being kidnapped by the mysterious dark shadow warriors . when finn gets captured , alpin sets out to rescue him , accompanied by a druid - monk called lachlan . what ensues is a gripping adventure , culminating in a final epic battle between alpin and nathara , the sorceress who awoke and controls the shadow warriors .
in a social media - centered world , the smartphone has become a cultural rite of passage for kids . but is that rite all wrong ? how can this generation of parents blaze a new trail to equip their kids to thrive in an ever - changing digital environment while steering clear of the dangers that lurk nearby ? with six kids , kirk cameron fully understands this dilemma . so he went to the experts , and what he learned will enlighten , challenge , and encourage parents . and best of all : it can help strengthen your family ! if you re committed to raising kids who will make an impact in this world , see connect and find help , hope , and strength for parenting kids and teens in a social media world .
oh lucy ! follows setsuko , ( shinobu terajima ) , a single , emotionally unfulfilled woman , seemingly stuck with a drab , meaningless life in tokyo . at least until she is convinced by her niece , mika ( shioli kutsuna , deadpool 2 ) , to enroll in an unorthodox english class that requires her to wear a blonde wig and take on an american alter ego named lucy . the new identity awakens something dormant in setsuko , and she quickly develops romantic feelings for her american instructor , john ( josh hartnett , penny dreadful , pearl harbor ) . when john suddenly disappears from class , setsuko travels halfway around the world in search of him , and in the outskirts of southern california , family ties and past lives are tested as she struggles to preserve the dream and promise of ' lucy . '
recently garnering three emmy nominations in the comedy category , the new season of shameless finds the gallaghers dealing with both the upside and downside of personal and urban renewal . in season five , frank ( william h . macy ) , fiona ( emmy rossum ) , lip ( jeremy allen white ) and the rest of the family – ian , debbie and carl gallagher – and their neighbors kev and veronica band together to fight the invading hipster hordes as real estate speculators and organic coffee shops begin to overrun their beloved south side of chicago . but , as their neighborhood begins a move towards gentrifying , the gallagher clan begins to reconcile their chaotic past in the hopes of building a better future . in addition to new series star emily bergl and recurring special guest star joan cusack , the new season features guest stars dermot mulroney , steve kazee and sasha alexander .


read 's drug store was a chain of stores based in baltimore , maryland .

read 's drug store was founded by william read .

he sold it to the nattans family in 1899 .

the downtown store was constructed in 1934 by smith & may , baltimore architects also responsible for the bank of america building at 10 light st. in 1929 , one company slogan was " run right to reads . "

read 's was purchased from the nattans by rite aid in 1983 .

the downtown store was the site of an early sit-in during the civil rights movement .

read 's downtown baltimore location has since closed , leaving behind an empty building .

there is currently a controversy over whether to raze this building for development or preserve it and turn it into a civil rights museum .

read ' s drug store

baltimore sit - in , dr . helena hicks , read drug store , read drug store sit - in , sit - in
tomorrow reminder - protest downtown balto . save read ' s drug store - baltimore ' s black history
“there are no plans to demolish read drug store , ” said caron brace with the mayor’s office .
please like our page to help save the historic read ' s drug store . direct actions soon to come .
a read’s drug store was built at the corner of howard and lexington streets in 1934 , when it was first praised as a local landmark and the modern flagship store for the chain . the store was located at the center of the downtown shopping district and the business grew as read’s drug store expanded throughout downtown baltimore and surrounding regions .
to desegregate read ' s drug stores which had been denying lunch counter service to african americans .
after only another two hours of delay the read’s official called back to declare that the read’s drug store decided to desegregate the on january 22 , 1955 , a front page headline on the afro american of read , “now serve all , ” and included the announcement by read’s drug stores president arthur nattans sr . ,
protesters gathered wednesday at the old read ' s drug store at the corner of howard and lexington streets to help get it listed as an historic site .
reverend cortly cd witherspoon , president baltimore southern christian leadership conference , stated , “read’s drug store is the site of one of the first sustained and successful civil rights sit - ins in the country . saving read’s drug store and elevating the history of this period is relevant to the urgent struggle for jobs and justice . ”
we would never dishonor the legacy of read ' s drug store ,
majors said . dishonoring it is in no way anywhere on our agenda .
read ' s drug store is a historic landmark of baltimore ' s civil rights struggle . the mayor as well as the bdc are fighting tooth and nail to destroy it . . .
baltimore ' s civil rights heritage read ' s drug store chain maintained a strict policy of racial segregation at their lunch counters . on january 20 , 1955 , a gr . . .
audrey herman spotlighters theatre has signed an agreement to move from its current home in mount vernon to the former site of the historic read ' s drug store on howard street .
: exterior view of read ' s drug store at howard and lexington streets . ~ source : maryland historical society , baltimore city life museum collection , svf ~ date : c . 1940
thanks for your comment ! we’re confident that the interior photo is the read’s drug store at howard & lexington streets thanks to the big balcony ( a modern feature for the flagship store ) and the catalog record from the baltimore museum of industry collection .
the group , led by civil rights icon dr . helena hicks , came to protest what they believe is a plan to destroy the historic former read’s drug store on howard and lexington streets .
[ … ] this post was mentioned on twitter by baltimore brew , baltimore heritage . baltimore heritage said : read’s drug store : the jewish connection from the @ jewishmuseummd urltoken # bmorewestside [ … ]
stephanie rawlings - blake and redevelopment officials were extremely disappointed to see that read ' s drug store was declared a city landmark last april . this article shows that we can make a difference ! urltoken
there , roark said , he plans to memorialize the civil rights history at read ' s drug store . he wants to re - create the lunch counter at the drugstore as part of the theater ' s cafe .
in mid - march , the project’s architects announced they planned to keep the façade of the drug store and develop around it to honor its historic past .
: as a student at morgan state university , dr . helena hicks participated in a sit - in protest at read ' s drug store that led to the desegregation of the chain . ~ source :
mayor stephanie rawlings - blake has vowed to preserve the facade of the read’s drug store on downtown’s west side and commemorate its role in the civil rights movement , but the city - owned building won’t get preservation love for many more months .
read ' s drug store is a historic landmark of baltimore ' s civil rights struggle . the mayor as well as the bdc are fighting tooth and nail to destroy it and we need to work together to preserve this important piece of history .
this became an issue especially for faculty and students at the nearby morgan state college , which had a predominantly black student body . a group of morgan state college student activists were denied service at a nearby read’s drug store in northwood shopping center , and they decided to work together with the baltimore chapter of core ( committee on racial equality ) to integrate the drug store .
a modified design incorporating the historic significance of read’s drugstore enhances the development’s value to the community . shame on the developers for not understanding the power of the read’s opportunity .
an exhibit unveiled this week at morgan state university recreates the lunch counter at read ' s drug store in baltimore where black students held a series of sit - ins to demand desegregation . ( daniel de vise / washington post )
: first showing of the municipal flag at the corner of howard and lexington streets , with read ' s drug store in the background . ~ source : maryland historical society , baltimore city life museum collection , cc2876 ~ date : 1914
i wasn ' t going to stand on a cold bus stop without something hot to drink ,
she says . without planning to , hicks led the group into read ' s drug store and sat at the lunch counter .
baltimore ( wjz ) — it was the site of a historic student sit - in . now , decades later , the fight over what to do with the read’s drug store building rages on between the city and a civil rights icon .
pousson , eli .
why the west side matters : read ' s drug store and baltimore ' s civil rights heritage .
baltimore heritage . n . p . , 7 jan . 2011 . web . 11 sept . 2011 . < urltoken / > .
back in 1955 , hicks and a group of morgan state students staged a sit - in at the drug store . it worked and paved the way for desegregation .
one of the west side’s least well known but most important stories is the history of the former read’s drug store at howard and lexington streets and its landmark role in baltimore’s civil rights movement . built in 1934 by baltimore architects smith & may , the press heralded this art deco structure as a local landmark from its beginning– a modern flagship store for the read’s chain , continuing their 50 - year presence at the bustling heart of the downtown retail district .
the read’s drug store sit - ins represent the first use of use of sustained direct action against segregation beyond the protests that occurred in places such as wichita and a number of northern college towns in the 1940s and early 1950s . throughout 1955 , protesters occupied members of the read’s drug store chain throughout the city of baltimore . the sit - ins were conducted by students of morgan state college , along with members of the baltimore chapter of the committee of racial equality ( core ) who believed that by desegregating the drug store chain , they would be making a powerful statement about the dignity of people of color and the economic power of a united black community .
two members of the baltimore city council plan to hold a hearing on preservation of the historic read’s drug store as the controversy continues over the site of a civil rights lunch counter sit - in in 1955 in the midst of a mega - redevelopment on the city’s west side .
core was an organization of civil rights activists who were led by ben everinghim , who had previously been a high school history teacher . core had many successes prior to the read’s drug store success , and provided the students with guidance in conducting their sit - in . on january 20 , 1955 core members and morgan state students staged a short sit - in at the read’s drug store flagship store , along with another sit - in which lasted for a week . the sit - in was led by core leader ben everinghim along with dean mcquay kiah , and dr . helena hicks both of morgan state .
william read started his read ' s drug store chain at this corner , but the current building , designed by prominent baltimore architects smith & may , was built by arthur nattans bought the business from read in 1899 . nattans grew the read ' s chain to over forty locations by the early 1930s and planned the downtown location as a flagship store - a modern and well - appointed building , detailed with ornate terra cotta panels depicting sailing ships and chromed railing with swimming dolphins on the interior balcony elements commemorating the 300th anniversary of founding of the maryland colony .
read’s drug store opened in 1934 , and had a policy of racial segregation in the 1950s , along with most other places in baltimore . in 1955 , students at morgan state college in baltimore , which was a primarily black college , decided that they were going to begin to take action against racial segregation among businesses in baltimore . after morgan state students were denied service at read’s drugstore , they decided to work together with faculty , along with the baltimore chapter of core in order to work towards racial equality and desegregation of the drug store chain .
but the old read drug and chemical co . was booming in this period , and its owners , the nattans family , wanted a first - class retailing lead store for its chain that once blanketed baltimore - and much of the state , too .
students also held a week - long demonstration at the same time as the sit - in at a read ' s drug store nearby in northwood shopping center , but little has been reported about these demonstrations or the methods used . most likely more methods were used than reported here .
like many downtown lunch counters in the early 1950s , the read ' s chain maintained a strict policy of racial segregation . discontent with the widespread policies of segregation and discrimination downtown led the baltimore chapter of the committee on racial equality ( core ) to start a campaign to end segregation at lunch counters on lexington street from kresge ' s at park avenue to mccrory ' s right next door to read ' s . at the same time , students from morgan state university began working to desegregate the read ' s drug store ' s northwood shopping center location , just outside of morgan ' s campus .
they got what they wanted , their no . 1 store . it was a grand success , always busy , one of the most profitable selling spaces in maryland . the store ' s lilting slogan ,
run right to read ' s ,
was rendered in a gorgeous metal typeface across the facade .
spotlighers theatre hopes to relocate to the former read ' s drug store . the group is putting in a bid for the abandoned building where morgan state students staged a successful
sit - in
demonstration at the lunch counter in 1955 . ( kenneth k . lam , baltimore sun video )
cigar box with
read ' s
logo , from the collection . 1990 . 160 . 002
so , what’s the rush ? ! read tom kiefaber’s open letter to the special chief solicitor for yourself and you may get some ideas .
read’s drug store had been owned by the nattans family since 1899 , when arthur sr . ’s father purchased the original downtown store from druggist william read . a german jewish family that had first settled in washington , d . c . , the nattans moved to baltimore and became active in jewish institutions such as the suburban club and levindale . by 1934 , the family had forty drugstores in operation in the baltimore - d . c . area . that year , the nattans completely rebuilt and remodeled the original read’s into the art deco building that exists under threat of demolition today . the family sold its chain to rite aid in 1977 .
several windows on the read ' s building are open to the elements . ( photo by fern shen )
the 54 - year - old theater is hoping to move to 123 n . howard st . , the building that previously housed a read ' s drug store where a 1955 sit - in by morgan state university students aimed to desegregate the lunch counter . it would also be just blocks from the hippodrome theatre and everyman theatre .
you can read all about the sit - in at the website of baltimore heritage , inc . , one of the groups leading the charge to save this historic building . it’s an exciting story , remarkable both for the inspiring and well - coordinated actions of the morgan students ( concurrent with their protest at read’s flagship store on howard and lexington , they staged demonstrations at a read’s near the morgan campus in northeast baltimore ) and for the quick capitulation of read’s officials . within two days of the sit - in at the downtown store , a front - page headline in the afro - american announced a victory . read’s president arthur nattans sr . stated that “we will serve all customers throughout our entire stores , including the fountains , and this becomes effective immediately . ”
in baltimore , the read ' s sit - ins are considered the forerunner to what later happened .
after more than four hours of debate wednesday , the baltimore city commission for historical and architectural preservation determined the $ 150 million redevelopment would not preserve enough historic buildings in the superblock . prime among them is the read ' s drug store building at howard and lexington streets , the site of a 1955 sit - in by morgan state university students .
read ' s drug store announced they would desegregate lunch counters on january 22 , 1955 . morgan state college student activists would stay active in the civil rights movement and stage many other sit - ins and protests to desegregate local businesses . the core would also become a pivotal organization for african - americans in the american civil rights movement of the 1960s .
core conducted many successful campaigns to desegregate the lunch counters of k - mart ( then called kresage ) and other chain stores in the baltimore area . in 1954 , the group held protests at grant’s chains stockholder meetings and flagship stores and managed to desegregate many of the border - south outlets . thus , the students at morgan state resolved to work with core to integrate read’s drug store .
on january 20 , 1955 , core and morgan state joined forces and a group of student activists from morgan staged simultaneous
sit - in
demonstrations at the howard & lexington and northwood read ' s locations . according to an article in the baltimore afro american , an unnamed read ' s official called morgan state and pleaded with the school to call the protests off because the stores were losing business . school leaders and protesters held firm and within hours a read ' s official announced that read ' s drug store would end segregated lunch counters across all of their establishments . the front page headline for the afro american on january 22 read ,
now serve all ,
with the announcement directly from read ' s drug stores president arthur nattans sr . ,
we will serve all customers throughout our entire stores , including the fountains , and this becomes effective immediately .
five years before the iconic woolworth ' s sit - ins in greensboro , north carolina , baltimore ' s morgan state students and core activists led one of the first successful student - led sit - in protests in the nation .
if you’ve been following the news in baltimore lately , you know that a major campaign is underway to save the read’s drug store building from demolition . part of the west baltimore downtown shopping district “superblock” slated for redevelopment , read’s was the site of an historic civil rights protest in 1955 , when a group of morgan state college students conducted a sit - in at the lunch counter , a full five years before the famous lunch counter sit - ins in greensboro , north carolina .
regretfully , the picture that shows the interior of the read’s store is not the location at howard and lexington streets . the acreage would not have allowed the space shown in a shopping mall . i wonder what plans those who wish the read’s builidng considered a historic building have to establish some viable landmark that will be supported by non - government funds .
and the rest is history : baltimore history , civil rights history , even jewish history . let’s hope that city officials recognize the importance of the read’s store—and the other historic buildings on the superblock—and redevelop the west side by building on our heritage , not by tearing it down .
in a statement released ahead of tuesday ' s announcement , rawlings - blake hailed lexington square ' s decision to save the read ' s building walls as a sign that the developers are serious about wanting to honor the site ' s history .
when i set out to interview helena hicks , i thought we ' d talk history . the soft - spoken , 80 - year - old who stands just 4 feet 10 inches tall with a sleek , silver bob , is known for her role in helping to desegregate read ' s drug store chain . but it turns out she ' s as active as ever , a force to reckon with at any sense of injustice .
back then as today , location meant everything and this corner–described as “the heart of the retail shopping district”–was key . over the next two decades , the store remained the flagship of the read’s chain as their business grew across downtown baltimore and the region .
domino sugar tablets , wrapped in paper with
read ' s
logo , from the collection . 1990 . 160 . 001
defying mayor stephanie c . rawlings - blake and city redevelopment officials , baltimore ' s preservation commission voted tuesday to add the former read ' s drugstore to the city ' s
special list
of . . .
“baltimore , md , students sit - in to integrate read ' s drug stores , usa , 1955 . ” global nonviolent action database . accessed march 3 , 2015 . urltoken edward gunts , superblock plan rejected after civil rights leaders protest the baltimore sun , jan 6 , 2011 .
though the baltimore sun heralded the structure at the southeast corner of howard and lexington as an art deco design icon from the time of its construction in 1934 , this building ' s role as an early and vital witness to a historic , but long over - looked civil rights sit - in makes the read ' s drug store building truly noteworthy . five years before the better known greensboro , south carolina sit - in protests at woolworth ' s , students and citizens made civil rights history on this spot .
paper bag with the
read ' s
logo and employee purchase across front , from the collection . 1990 . 160 . 003 .
i ' m making a preservation pitch for the overlooked 1934 gem , the read ' s drugstore at the corner of howard and lexington .
but 56 years ago it was the scene of a protest by morgan state university students whose dissent eventually led to a reversal of the store restaurant’s policy of not serving black patrons .
clarke said the hearing will allow all sides to come together and debate the merits of saving read’s , a forum that has yet to occur .
city officials and members of the development team say preserving the entire read ' s building would be difficult because it has been vacant for many years and is in poor condition . moreover , they said , it no longer contains the lunch counter or other fixtures from when read ' s operated it .
“the city condemned and acquired read’s and other historic buildings in the superblock , leaving them vacant and lexington street virtually abandoned , ” gearhart said yesterday .
i grew - up near the reads store on maiden choice lane , i was born in 1959 . the store had a restaurant , and long kitchen counter . as a kid i spent alot of time in the reads or the arbutus - shopping - plaza , where it was located . in the 1960’s it was a more civil society , to live in , compared to the last four decades . the restaurant side was sold to carrolton - bank in the 1970’s , and the store was never the same as it once was .
by the early 1950s , discontent with the widespread policies of racial segregation and discrimination at baltimore restaurants and shopping establishments began to peak , especially among the community of students and faculty at then morgan state college who could not receive service at the read’s drug store located in the nearby northwood shopping center . these morgan students joined forces with a group of white and black baltimore civil rights activists who organized a local chapter of the committee on racial equality ( core ) .
read ' s wasn ' t the first store to desegregate in baltimore , but it ' s considered a turning point because it sparked more successful sit - ins in the ensuing years , such as those at arundel ice cream—whose 17 baltimore - area stores finally desegregated in 1959—and later , the northwood theatre , a holdout until 1963 . yet , for more than a half - century , the students ' successful desegregation of read ' s lunch counters—five years before the more famous greensboro , nc , lunch - counter sit - ins—had essentially remained lost to history . the read ' s story only began to resurface in the late 2000s when plans to demolish the downtown store ' s former home at lexington and howard received public attention . even now , the story remains somewhat under the radar in terms of its early national civil - rights - era legacy .
the history of read’s drug store began in april 1934 when the company announced their plan to demolish their existing building at the corner and replace it with a “modern four - story - and - basement structure” designed by the prominent firm of smith & may , the baltimore architectural partnership behind the iconic bank of america building . the press praised the new building as “the largest construction project to be undertaken in the area for some time” with a number of modern innovations in technology and design–
helena hicks has remained active in baltimore through eras of desegregation and the drug trade . now she gives back to her childhood neighborhood , the same one where freddie gray lived .
phew ! mold vapors were wafting out on the howard st . side of the read ' s building a few days ago . ( photo by fern shen )
on january 20 , 1955 , ben everinghim the president of baltimore core , dean mcquay kiah of morgan state , a group of student activists from morgan including dr . helena hicks , and others staged a “sit - in” demonstration at the read’s howard & lexington location at the same time as another group of morgan students staged a full week of demonstrations at the read’s store at the northwood shopping center . their brave efforts yielded remarkable results with the quick response accounted in the baltimore afro american by b . m . phillips as “a true story , ” describing a conversation between morgan state college dean george grant and an unnamed “read’s drugstore official , ”
baltimore heritage director johns hopkins ( distant descendant of the johns hopkins ) says it was during the late 2000s , when demolition of the read ' s building was formally proposed , that the story of read ' s began to come to life again . he believes the location of the building and its historic sit - ins are central to understanding the city ' s complicated record regarding racial prejudice—nowhere more obvious than at howard and lexington . the city ' s beloved department stores—hochchild ' s , stewart ' s , hecht ' s , and hutzler ' s (
where baltimore shops !
) —all maintained some form of segregation until 1960 or later .
although the engineering consultant makes it sound like demolition is unlikely , it’s hard to ignore that the neglect led to read’s roof collapse and it’s much more costly to reconstruct as opposed to preventative maintenance / repairs , especially when you’re talking about proper restoration to an historic structure .
tagged : baltimore heritage , civil rights , collections , deb weiner , desegregation , historic buildings , inc . , read ' s , sit - ins , walking tours
the sit - in lasted for less than half an hour before the students left voluntarily . the peace was not disturbed and none of the protesters were arrested . however , the students were also denied service at read’s during the sit - in . students organized other protests at the same time at several read’s branches in the area .
separately , the city said it would proceed with installing a temporary roof on the read’s building , whose interior timber framing has partially collapsed from years of water leakage .
as developers and architects weigh the what ' s to be kept and what ' s to be bulldozed on lexington street , the case for read ' s needs to be heard . about 35 years ago , much of its chrome work was hidden by some awful cover - up materials . read ' s successor , the rite aid corp . , moved across the street to the old may - hecht building , also designed by smith and may .
( update : getting a roof on read’s is going to be slower than we thought . alfred h . foxx , city director of public works , and an aide told us today that bid contracts typically take nine months to be processed and awarded . the read’s bid is scheduled to be advertised next month , which would push back the roof contract’s approval by the boe to fall 2012 . )
the developer ' s previous plan drew strong opposition from preservationists , who said the read ' s building should be saved as a national civil rights landmark . the downtown sit - in and others at baltimore - area stores , which had a policy of not serving african - americans , prompted the read ' s chain to begin serving all patrons , white and black , at its 37 lunch counters .
ford’s theatre desegregated in 1952 after years of relentless picketing . thirty - seven read’s drugstores opened their lunch counters to blacks in 1955 . four years later , the protesters forced the desegregation of the chain of arundel ice cream shops .
a meeting is scheduled tuesday before the city’s commission for historic and architectural preservation , where panel members will debate whether the historic significance of read’s drugs merits the building’s addition to a list for historic preservation in the city , said johns hopkins , executive director of baltimore heritage , a nonprofit advocacy group .
mayor stephanie rawlings - blake ' s position on read ' s appears to have evolved since initially supporting so - called
superblock
development plans that would have doomed the building . a spokeswoman , writing in an e - mail , says the mayor is committed to
commemorating the events that occurred at the former read ' s drugstore ,
but notes that new redevelopment efforts that would at least protect the building ' s facade remain tied up amid litigation filed by the site ' s former developers who were contracted by the city .
i hated it . it ' s hard to explain to people why you have a policewoman sitting at work beside your desk , and who has to be with you when you go to the grocery store ,
she says .
your email address will be altered so spam harvesting bots can ' t read it easily . hide my email completely instead ?
a few days later , the front page of the january 22 , 1955 , national edition of the afro - american newspaper ran a short story , datelined baltimore , with the headline
now serve all .
read ' s , which had 39 area stores , had suddenly decided to desegregate , with the article citing a
sit - down strike
at its
largest store in the heart of the city , the day before the change of policy was announced .
a more in - depth story appeared inside as well , referencing other , coordinated read ' s lunch - counter desegregation efforts by morgan students and the baltimore chapter of the committee on racial equality ( core ) downtown and at the northwood shopping center read ' s near campus . the baltimore afro - american published the same day also made several references to the morgan students ' sit - ins and read ' s subsequent policy change .
on january 20 , 1955 , a group of student activists from morgan state and core staged a “sit - in” at the read’s central howard and lexington location at the same time another group of morgan state students held a week - long demonstration at the nearby read’s in northwood shopping center , although notmuch has been reported on this campaign or the methods used . the sit - in was led by ben everinghim , dean mcquay kiah and dr . helena hicks of morgan state , and other students who came to sit at the read’s lunch counters to demand service .
over the past two months , numerous groups have joined the call to preserve the read ' s building and others on the superblock , including students from city neighbors charter school , two local chapters of the service employees international union , morgan state university students and even a son of the former head of the read ' s chain . the controversy also has received national attention .
read’s has also been the subject of controversy because of its unique social history . a 1955 sit - in by morgan state students eventually forced the drugstore chain to desegregate its lunch counters .
helena hicks has remained active in baltimore through eras of desegregation and the drug trade . now she gives back to her childhood neighborhood , the same one where freddie gray lived . jennifer ludden / npr hide caption
the downside of desegregation was white flight , the rise of the local drug trade and the blocks of vacant row houses that now pockmark baltimore ' s poorest areas . but hicks has continued to speak out . in a city known for a code of no - snitching , she says she endured a year of police protection in the 1980s when she was a possible witness in the trial of a local drug gang leader . she swears she ' d never go through that again .
this is a big step toward a reasonable compromise on this issue ,
the mayor ' s statement read .
honoring our history and building for our future should not be mutually exclusive goals . i ' m very pleased that lexington square partners is taking real steps to commemorate the read ' s site and is moving forward with new investment for the west side .
in 1955 , helena hicks was a student at morgan state college ( now morgan state university ) . one day in january , while waiting for the bus , she and a number of her classmates stepped inside read’s drug store , at the corner of howard and lexington streets , and tried to order something hot to drink . it was the era of jim crow and they were african - americans ; they were refused service . but their action eventually led to the desegregation of lunch counters throughout baltimore , and helped ignite a wave of lunch - counter sit - ins across the country .
the commission ' s members also plan to meet in april to consider adding the read ' s building to a special list of structures , preventing it from being demolished for up to six months while city officials and the project ' s developers come up with a way to include the building in their development plans .
read ' s was designed by baltimore architects smith and may , who gave us the monumental bank of america building ( 10 light street - baltimore trust co . ) just five years earlier .
the move sparked other protests , and a few days later read ' s announced it would desegregate all of its 37 stores . that was five years before the more famous sit - ins .
another panel , the city’s urban design and architecture review panel , must also approve the new design . the panel rejected the original plan in january , amid protests against the razing of read’s drugs . at the time , the architects from lexington square partners llc , the superblock’s design team based in atlanta , said they were unaware of the historic sit - in or the lunch counter’s existence .
the mold smell is not surprising considering the assessment in a recent engineering consultant’s report that 80 % of the building’s roof has failed .
this effort led to quick results . read’s was hurt by the lost business from the sit - in and related protests and quickly declared that it would desegregate the lunch counters . on january 22 , the headline of afro american was “now serve all” , and the article quoted read’s president arthur nattans sr . saying , “we will serve all customers throughout our entire stores , including the fountains , and this becomes effective immediately” .
what : teach - in – protest - and speak out . hear the community , including those who remember baltimore’s segregation and today’s youth .
with the preservation of the read ' s facades , they say , nearly 90 percent of the wall along lexington street will be preserved and more than 75 percent of the wall along howard street will be preserved .
areas were established in many of the rite aid locations . this same year , rite aid partnered with urltoken to allow customers of rite aid to place prescription orders through the site for in - store purchase .
ironic to see this article . my mother worked , as a cashier , at the delicatessen of the 1938 vintage kresge five - and - dime department store . it was located at the southeast corner of park and lexington streets , opposite gutman’s in downtown baltimore , md . in 1955 , i remember my aunt taking me to mom’s job and being scolded for sitting at the counter . i just wanted a soda float , which was a dip of vanila ice cream in a glass of coca cola . who knew this little ‘colored’ girl , all of 5 years old , was in breech of a major store polocy . “negros can work for and purchase store goods ; however , they can not sit and be served in the store” . my mother , in a frantic at my disappearance , explained this to me , as she lifted me by the arm off that round red leather seat on chrome legs . i never forgot that day . it was my introduction to racism .
morgan state president david wilson took the school’s annual founder’s day as the occasion to open a permanent memorial to its unheralded role in the civil rights movement . some of the protesters unveiled a series of plaques posted outside the student dining hall , along with a life - size recreation of the lunch counter at read’s , a place where every student will see them .
best farmers markets in baltimore charm city ' s farmers markets offer great opportunities to get some of the region ' s best and freshest produce .
like many downtown commercial establishments in the early 1950s , the read’s chain maintained a strict policy of racial segregation at their lunch counters . in 1955 , a group of morgan state students came together with the leadership of the recently organized baltimore committee on racial equality to organize a sit - in protest at the lunch counter of the read’s drug store at howard and lexington streets . they succeeded in this effort , marking this building as a witness to the first successful student - led sit - in protest in baltimore and defining a powerful model for the more famous lunch - counter sit - in of greensboro , north carolina in 1960 . this building is currently threatened with total demolition by the proposed development of the superblock by the baltimore development corporation and lexington square partners . baltimore heritage , together with partners and supporters from across the city , is advocating for the city to reconsider this proposal and encourage the preservation and re - use of this essential landmark in baltimore’s civil rights history .
so we started on the change to integrate eating places . and we continued it , because when i graduated and went off to howard university to graduate school . . . we went into all those restaurants and coffee shops up and down route 1 on our way to [ washington , ] d . c . and we tried to get into them , we tried to desegregate them . it was a continuous movement . . . . it was like building a house , i guess , building blocks . . . . read’s was just read’s . everything else didn’t open immediately . . . . read’s was just the example of the very first that decided to cave in .
the sit - in at the flagship store lasted for less than a half an hour , it was non - violent , and no one was arrested . the participants were denied service however , and this sit - in sparked many other protests at other local read’s . as a result of the sit - in protests of read’s drugstores , they lost business , and the owner announced that they would begin serving all customers at all locations . the results of this sit - in were quick , and led to integration at other businesses around baltimore . the methods used during this sit - in also provided a model for future sit - in protests during the civil rights movement .
gunts , edward .
read ' s drugstore flap brings baltimore civil rights history to life .
the baltimore sun 8 feb . 2011 : n . pag . the baltimore sun . web . 11 sept . 2011 . <
read’s , as well as many of the other downtown businesses in the early 1950s , had a policy of racial segregation at its lunch counters . african - americans could buy products from the store but they were not allowed service or a place to sit at the lunch counters . however , people were becoming discontent with the institutionalized policies of racial segregation and discrimination in baltimore businesses . in 1955 , a year after the supreme court’s brown v . board of education decision , there was widespread talk of civil rights liberties and desegregation .
read’s official : please call your students off . they’re staging a showdown here in our northwood store . we’re losing business . dean grant : we teach our students here they must practice democracy and help others to understand it . i don’t think you want us to tell them what they’re doing is wrong . ro : yes , but we’re losing business with them sitting at our counters . dg : well , there are several things you can do . ro : what’s that ? dg : why not put a sign up in your store saying dogs , cats and colored people are not allowed ? ro : well , we couldn’t do that . dg : well , why not put an ad in the afro saying that read’s wants colored people to shop there but they can’t eat there ; and you know you have another alternative , you can say to all your customers everyone can be served at our lunch counters . ro : well , we are in sympathy with this thing – we’ll see what can be done .
a baltimore civil rights icon is still pushing to help city ' s young sixty years ago , helena hicks helped desegregate the city ' s lunch counters . in the wake of freddie gray ' s death , the 80 - year - old has continued to advocate for baltimore ' s poor , black residents .
tyler gearhart , executive director of preservation maryland , said he remains concerned about the degree to which lexington square ' s revised plan fails to comply with a 2001 preservation agreement between the city and the state , which called for the read ' s building and others on the block to be preserved if at all possible .
today we have an update with some distressing news regarding historic preservation in baltimore . we just learned that baltimore’s local historic preservation commission - the commission for historical and architectural preservation ( chap ) – is holding a special “closed door” meeting on monday , august 27 with the purpose of firing chap’s executive director , ms . kathleen kotarba . while we are reluctant to get involved in a personnel matter at chap , we are confident that the effort to fire ms . kotarba is directly related to her professional work with chap staff and commissioners and fear that it involves recent controversial historic preservation issues – the preservation of read’s drug store , the mechanic theater , and the edgar allan poe house . as you know , preservation issues are at the forefront of many city - shaping decisions today and we fear that the effort to fire ms . kotarba is an attempt to reduce the influence of historic preservation in baltimore .
it took two years of demonstrations , but in 1955 , the owners of read’s opened their lunch counters to blacks . four years later , in march 1959 , another sit - in campaign would later change practices at the arundel ice cream chain .
read’s is part of the so - called “superblock” where a city - backed $ 150 million apartment - retail project has been the subject of legal disputes for the last six years . in his presentation to the panel , m . j . “jay” brodie , president of the bdc , blamed the lawsuits for tying the city’s hands .
hi steve – while the museum does not have a specific “read’s collection , ” the objects featured in this post are part of our collections . for more information , please contact joanna church , our director of collections and exhibits at jchurch @ urltoken .
karen colizzi noonan , theatre historical society of america ‘s ( thsa ) commented today on adam meister’s urltoken article clarifying her position both regarding her letter to baltimore city mayor stephanie rawlings - blake and her experience serving on the bdc’s senator advisory panel .
the rite aid chain , ( originally called thrif d discount center , ) opened in scranton , pennsylvania in 1962 . through the acquisitions of new drugstores and locations , rite aid quickly expanded into several other states in 1965 . the drugstore chain was renamed as the rite aid corporation in 1968 and made its debut on the american stock exchange that same year . in 1972 , rite aid had 267 locations in 10 states . rite aid was now considered to be the third largest drugstore in america . in 1983 , an acquisition of over 400 stores was made , expanding rite aid to 2 , 000 locations , and reached a profit - level of over $ 1 billion . rite aid also acquired read’s drug store at this time . rite aid bought out perry drug stores in 1995 , and thrifty payless and bi - mart in 1996 . after failing to reach a level of profit acceptable to its new owner , bi - mart was sold off two years later . in 1999 , rite aid bought harco , inc . , k & b inc . , and the general nutrition companies . small
responding to pressure from preservationists and civil rights activists fighting to preserve the former read ' s drugstore building downtown , developers of the $ 150 million lexington square project that would have razed the building now agree to incorporate two of its exterior walls into their project .
because the family kept the original read’s name on its stores , the chain’s jewish ownership has been somewhat obscured . the nattans belong in the same category as the hutzlers , gutmans , hoschchilds , kohns , hechts , epsteins—retailers who made an indelible mark on the baltimore scene . and like those other jewish retailers , the nattans went along with baltimore’s jim crow traditions until forced to change during the civil rights era . ( you can read about discrimination against blacks at jewish - owned department stores in an excellent article by paul kramer , “white sales , ” published in our enterprising emporiums catalog back in 2001 . )
online exclusive ! view additional images of morgan state university’s permanent civil rights era exhibit .
“finally , we’re going to set some history straight , ” gibson told thursday’s crowd .
this post was originally published on baltimore heritage ‘s blog on august 23 , 2012 .
the former read’s drugs is at the site of a $ 150 million development of the superblock , an area bordered by lexington , howard and fayette streets and park avenue . architects had drawn up a plan that called for razing the property , which is blighted and vacant
the main sit - in occurred at read’s flagship store on january 20 , 1955 . protested also organized several other demonstrations , including those that occurred at other franchise locations . the wave of sit - in protests may have been short - lived , but historians have shown that they inspired future direct action protests in other
border cities
from missouri to kentucky . in 1960 , a similar protest in north carolina led to a wave of protests throughout the border south that even spread into a number of communities in the deep south .
at the time , morgan students could spend their money at the local read’s drugstore but couldn’t sit at the lunch counter . resentment built on campus , where many students were from the integrated north , and groups of morgan students began to line up at the counter daily .
biased by laws both written and unwritten , the city could be onerous and discriminating at one turn , accommodating the next . forget , for a moment , the big stuff , like applying for a job or buying a house . for black citizens , simply trying on clothes or shoes , seeing a movie , filling a prescription , getting a bite to eat—hell , a cup of coffee—meant navigating a labyrinth of rules that shape - shifted not just from neighborhood to neighborhood , but often store to store within a single downtown block .
[ after that ] the protest kinda picked up . even though people think about the civil rights movement starting in the ’60s , this was the ’50s—and we had been protesting a long time . the first protest down at ford’s theatre [ in the 1940s ] , part of it was with a group of morgan students . it wasn’t anything new , it was just that the press didn’t pick it up . now , the press did pick up the read’s drug store sit - in—there were , like , three lines in the baltimore sun —and i’m glad they did because that was , like , our only proof that it happened . . . . so we really started a national movement , which we were shocked to find out about in later years , because we were just students doing , you know , i dare you to put me out . you just don’t believe you’re making history , you certainly don’t think about that . . . .
in 1953 , seven years before the formal launch of the sit - in movement , students from morgan state college were lining up daily at the lunch counter of read’s drugstore . there , some manager or anxious waitress would recite the maryland trespassing statute and ask them to leave .
also see individual galleries of the best of baltimore ' s 2015 theater season , the best classical music performed in baltimore in 2015 and baltimore ' s best new bars of 2015 .
pictured left , center : helena hicks , who later went on to earn a ph . d . , as a morgan state college student in her 1955 graduation photo . pictured right , lower left : hicks ' s friend and classmate geraldine leake , who , according to hicks , also took part in the downtown read ' s drugstore sit - in in january of 1955 .
the bdc helped him narrow his focus based on the size of each building . if the theater does move into the 21 , 000 - square - foot read ' s building , it would provide extra space for classrooms , offices and a theater shop . the additional space would provide room to expand the theater ' s educational programming and its audience — between 110 and 120 seats .