Cedar Grove, Shreveport, Louisiana

=History=

Cedar Grove ( _fr. Bosquet de Cèdre) is a neighborhood within the confines of Shreveport, Louisiana. It is located to the south east of the downtown district. It is generally considered to be the area bordered by Hollywood Avenue on the North side to 85th Street on the South side; from Line Avenue in the East to Mansfield Road (US-171) on the West. It has a recent reputation as a dangerous, inner-city neighborhood, especially during the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but since then the neighborhood has improved.

However, Cedar Grove has a much longer distinction as home to working class gin joints, brothels, and illegal gambling as far back as the 1930s. One such club, The Woodlawn Club, was notorious for such activities and is reported to have hosted such big band names as Tommy Dorsey and Rudy Valle during its heyday. In May 2007, rapper Hurricane Chris shot a music video for his song "A Bay Bay" there. Cedar Grove is also the home to Lava House Records, home to many of Shreveport's music artists.

1988 Riot

In September 1988 there was a full-blown riot in which the police were forced to block off the entire neighborhood because it was out of control. Cars and businesses were burned. The rioting continued for two days, stemming from an incident when a white woman shot and killed a black man. [C.A. Gruber. "Civil Disturbances: The Lesson of Cedar Grove." "Police Chief". September 1990, Vol. 57 Issue 9, p12-16. EBSCOhost SocINDEX, accessed June 26 2007.]

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