Before philanthropist Julius Rosenwald provided funding for
rural schools for African-Americans, he initiated an equally
successful program designed to aid the nation’s growing urban
population of African-Americans. In a time when many blacks were
migrating to industrial centers, the Young Men’s Christian
Association played a valuable role by providing both interim
housing for the new population (who were barred from most
residential hotels due to segregation) and a community center in
which to practice religion and physical fitness. The Washington
D.C. YMCA, located at 1816 12th Street NW, played this role for
the vibrant African-American community around nearby U Street.
Funding for the 12th Street YMCA was an early model for the kind
of “challenge” grants Rosenwald would use to encourage local
investment and increase the funding power of his philanthropy.
The $100,000 building was funded in four equal parts; a grant
from Rosenwald, a grant from John D. Rockefeller Sr., the
central YMCA administration and m