The Hidden History of the Lorraine Motel — Now a Netflix Documentary | The Archive Room

Before it was the National Civil Rights Museum, the Lorraine Motel was one of the first Black-owned motels in the United States. Walter and Loree Bailey bought it in 1958 and built it into a place where African-American travellers were welcome at a time when most hotels turned them away. They installed a swimming pool because Black guests were not permitted to use hotel pools elsewhere. Stax artists lived there. Aretha Franklin stayed there. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on its balcony in 1968. Archival producer Rosemary Rotondi spoke to The Archive Room about the documentary she has been working on with director Sam Pollard. The film, simply titled The Lorraine, has just had its world premiere at Tribeca and has been acquired by Netflix. This clip was recorded before the premiere.