Poker Writer
Caesars Times Square announced a $10 million investment to establish and support the New York Coalition of Legacy Theaters of Color Fund, a new non-profit to promote minority-led theater productions. The proposed fund is contingent on Caesars winning a high-profile bid for a New York gaming license to place a casino in Times Square.
For the announced non-profit, they’ve partnered with Tony Award-winning theater actor Wendell Pierce, who will join the project as well. Pierce most famously portrayed Bunk Moreland on HBO’s “The Wire.”
The ambitious $5.4 billion plan from Caesars to build a casino hotel resort in the heart of Times Square is one of the leading contenders to get the coveted gaming license awarded in the back end of 2025. It competes with the likes of a Hard Rock Casino at Citi Field, among others. SL Green, Caesars Entertainment and Jay Z’s Roc Nation are among those collaborating on the proposal.
While the project has received a lot of support, it also has had its fair share of criticism. Some believe the casino hotel would negatively impact the theater district on Broadway. The Caesars coalition hopes the non-profit will showcase potential positives for the community.
Support From New York Black Community
The project aims to support theaters and ensembles telling the stories about communities of color. Caesars also plans to provide valuable cross-promotion for the theater scene through Caesars Rewards.
Pierce, noted for being the first Black actor to play the role of Willy Loman in the Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman,” explained his support for the plan in a presser:
Caesars Palace Times Square is a formidable investment, creating access and opportunity, with a profound creation of jobs in the greatest cultural economy of the world. This project will not only be transformative for our creative Broadway community but for the broader labor force as well. I fully endorse this project and recognize this is a powerful step toward ensuring that cultural groups of color are not just included but are leaders in shaping the future of Times Square — with a commitment to workforce inclusion, community partnership, and artistic vibrancy for all
Caesars has also received support from other prominent members of the Black community in New York, most extensively from Brooklyn native Jay-Z. The hip hop mogul is a partner in the bid via his company Roc Nation, which would curate the entertainment and nightclub aspect of the casino hotel as outlined on the Caesars Times Square website.
If Caesars wins the bid for the Times Square casino, Jay-Z would become only the second Black casino owner in U.S. history. That milestone that has garnered support from civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton.
But Sharpton has done more than simply voice support. He partnered with Ryan Williams, founder of Cadre (a real-estate investment platform), to create opportunities for low-income local households to invest in the Times Square project via $500 ownership stakes. Sharpton stated in June:
Thanks to the leadership and vision of JAY-Z, we believe that for the very first time our community will not only have a seat at the table but also the opportunity to have a stake in the ownership of Caesars Palace Times Square.
