The Divine Lorraine Hotel was more stunning than I anticipated. Father Divine opened the establishment only four years after Fauset published his research on the religious leader. From 1948-1999 Father Divine’s Universal Peace Mission Movement operated the first fully racially integrated hotel in the country. Lodgers had to adhere to strict regulations, which included modest dress and separation of the sexes. An internal speaker system was installed so Father Divine (aka George Baker or Reverend Major Jealous Divine) could broadcast praise and prayer throughout the day. The tenth floor of the hotel was converted into a worship hall. The bottom floor housed a cafeteria where members of the community could eat meals for 25cents. The 10-story building, now covered in tags, offers a glimpse of the grandeur of the once thriving religious movement.
(via Divine Lorraine Hotel | black gods of the metropolis, revisited)
