100 Men Hall

The historic "Black Energy Center" in Bay St. Louis returns to its roots

by

On the edge of southern Mississippi lies Bay St. Louis, a small beach town filled with antique stores, coffee shops, and restaurants that line the Gulf of Mexico. Hundred-year-old homes and vast oak trees border the stretch of coastline as the Gulf runs its ocean breeze through fine sand and patches of dune grass. With an estimated population of 10,000, this slow-moving town in Hancock County holds a classic seaside, Southern charm.

The last time I visited Bay St. Louis, though, all this allure was shrouded by the mist coating my windshield—the fog slowly moving along the St. Louis Bay Bridge like a cluster of lost ghosts. The damp, humid air sat heavy like a wet towel. As I drove closer to my destination, I passed by an old shopping strip, reminiscent of the ones shown in Spaghetti Western films. A vacant movie theater from 1927, known as A&G Theater, sat crammed between abandoned and renovated buildings.

Finally, I spotted the faces of Albert Fairconnetue (the first president of the Hancock County NAACP), Etta James, and Lucious Spiller—painted beside three young girls performing at a Mardi Gras Ball—on the mural outside of 100 Men Hall. I parked my car beside a neighborhood home across the street and approached the establishment, which is painted three shades of blue with bright magenta entryway doors, which owner Rachel Dangermond opened with a smile as I crossed the same threshold passed over by some of our nation’s most iconic blues musicians.

There isn’t a single blank wall inside 100 Men Hall. Framed paintings overlook the bar: a work by Darrin Butler, a portrait of a Black Cuban woman smoking a cigar, another of James Booker. In a mural painted by Adrienne Brown David on one of the partial walls jutting out from the center of the room, two young Black children look on—a boy (owner Rachel Dangermond's son) wearing a shirt that reads “We are our ancestors,’” and a girl (the muralist's daughter) whose shirt reads: “wildest dreams.”

[Read about the historic Rock House in Innis, Louisiana—where Buddy Guy has played—here.]

The venue was founded in 1894 by a group of twelve Black men known as the Hundred Members Debating Benevolent Association, who came together to raise money for the community’s burials and medical costs. In the decades before the Hall was built in 1922, the property was used as an open-air pavilion for fundraising concerts. What was originally meant to be a space for the civic-minded organization quickly transformed into a safe gathering place for Black people in Bay St. Louis. Throughout the twentieth century, 100 Men Hall hosted wedding showers, plays, Mardi Gras balls, and performances like the Manless Wedding, where women would dress in male drag. In the 1930s and ‘40s, the entertainment hotspot became an esteemed music venue on the Chitlin’ Circuit, drawing legendary acts like Ray Charles, James Brown, James Booker, B.B. King, and Irma Thomas. This continued throughout the through the deepest depredations of the Jim Crow era and the heights of the Civil Rights movement. And then, in 1982, the hall closed.

What was originally meant to be a space for the civic-minded organization quickly transformed into a safe gathering place for Black people in Bay St. Louis.

Music was changing, with new trends like vinyl and DJs capturing the imagination of a new generation. The 100 Members Debating Benevolent Association separated and sold the building to the Disabled Vets of America. Just before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the organization sold the building to a couple with intentions to turn it into an art gallery. When Hurricane Katrina damaged the Hall, the Federal Emergency Management Agency threatened to tear it down.

Knowing the historical significance of 100 Men Hall, local historical restorationist and musician Jesse Loya convinced his wife Kerrie White that they should purchase the property. In the years to come, the couple would resurrect the Hundred Members Debating Benevolent Association as a 501c3, and win a $110,000 grant from the state of Mississippi to renovate the historic building. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of a historical marker by the Mississippi Blues Commission in 2011, recognizing the site’s important history in Mississippi blues culture.

[Read about Jeremey Simien's growing collection of rare portraits depicting Creoles of color here.]

Dangermond never expected to own a blues hall in Mississippi. Before moving to Bay St. Louis, she lived in New Orleans and worked as a facilitator for the Welcome Table—a Winter Institute initiative with Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office to address systemic racism in the city. She was also holding writing workshops in her home. Then one day, a friend of hers—who knew she had a desire to live in a beach town—told her that 100 Men Hall was for sale.

“I was like, no,” Dangermond laughed. “Why would I want to live in a blues hall? You know, that makes no sense.”

“I think that the space itself tells a story, and the story is Black self-reliance and a self-directed community,” Dangermond said. “Here along the coast and particularly in this town, there is an amazing abundance of Black culture and history.”

Still, she decided to pay 100 Men Hall a visit. Entering the historic space, she immediately felt inspired to apply her passions for writing and equality to preserving the rich history of the venue. While acknowledging the history of Black Mississippi—a winding and complicated story of racism, segregation, and Jim Crow—Dangermond also wanted to highlight a more triumphant chapter.

“I think that the space itself tells a story, and the story is Black self-reliance and a self-directed community,” Dangermond said. “Here along the coast and particularly in this town, there is an amazing abundance of Black culture and history.”

Since 2018, Dangermond has been working to preserve that history through renovations and various events. A “Tin Shed” has been built behind the venue, which hosts creative retreats and artist residencies. After restoring the hundred-year-old floors, Dangermond commissioned big name artists to paint the venue’s iconic murals. Recently, in recognition of the venue’s centennial, musician Jimbo Mathus helped to produce a marionette film that tells the story of the historical century. Today, the institution is cherished as one of the few still-intact African American landmarks along the Mississippi Blues Trail, and hosts regular programming including live performances, artist residencies, writing workshops, fundraisers, and more.

“I think a lot of people, even here in Bay St. Louis, don't understand how significant this place is,” Dangermond said. “We just hope that it gets more attention because it's bigger than me. We're the real deal. The history is here.”

Plan your visit to 100 Men Hall at the100menhall.com. This month, upcoming events include programming for the Centennial Harlem Renaissance Weekend February 3–5, and a film screening of American Justice on Trial on February 9.