Save Black Family-Owned Blues Hotel Please help us Save the most Historic Blues Hotel in America …The Riverside Hotel located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Our beloved Riverside Hotel is in trouble! Covid-19 shut the hotel down in 2020, then a violent storm fell a tree onto the hotel, causing extensive damage. With the hotel now closed and overheads and critical repairs outstanding; the Hotel’s owners, sisters Zelena Ratliff and Sonya Gates, desperately need to raise operating funds to cover basic monthly expenses and pay for critical repairs, pending the hotel’s planned re-opening in the Spring 2022. The Riverside Hotel “was dreamed up, owned, and operated by our grandmother, an African American woman, Mrs. Z. L. Hill, living in Jim Crow–era Mississippi”; and since 1944 and up until the Pandemic in 2020, the Riverside Hotel had “provided safe lodging in the Delta for some of the most famous musicians in history as well as like-minded folk”, and was the place “where Blues Gave Birth to Rock and Roll”. After his beloved mother Mrs. Z.L. Hill passed, her son Frank “Rat” Ratliff took over the operations of The Riverside; where he became an enthusiastic historian of the hotel and helped preserve and carry forward the oral and pictorial history of the Hotel’s many visitors.  Today, these stories; of Rocket ’88 being written and rehearsed at the Riverside, Robert Nighthawk’s suitcase being left behind, and many others have become a precious legacy for his daughters, Zelena and Sonya and future generations of the Ratliff Family. The Riverside was home to some, including the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson II, Ike Turner and Robert Nighthawk. Others, like Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and Duke Ellington made the Riverside Hotel their home away from home as they toured and crisscrossed the South. Rocket 88; considered to be the first Rock N Roll song ever, was written and rehearsed at The Riverside Hotel by Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston.   Prior to becoming the Riverside Hotel, the property operated as the GT Thomas Hospital for African Americans, where in 1937 the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith was brought, seriously injured in a car wreck while travelling between shows, and where she died of her injuries. Today, the room she passed in is preserved as a shrine in her honor, as a tribute to the most famous woman in Blues History. Our Goal is to raise $50,000 by establishing an EMERGENCY OPERATING FUND, to help sustain the hotel and prepare the hotel to re-open for business. Earlier this month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Riverside Hotel as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2021. Original owner, Mrs. Z.L. Hill's granddaughters, Sonya Gates and Zelena Ratliff, are working to ensure that their family's legacy and the legacy of blues history is preserved for generations to come. What do we need $50,000 for? Specifically, The Riverside needs $4,000 per month for overhead costs: insurance, property taxes, utilities, phone, security monitoring, necessary upkeep and critical repairs. Plus, any expenditures that are necessary to prepare the Hotel to re-open. And, once the Hotel is near an opening date: a) $2,000 for necessary safety maintenance (Staff and supplies) to help the Riverside implement health protocols against Covid-19, b) $2,500 to help prepare and maintain the property and its rooms for rent, including purchasing a washer and dryer set for the Hotel. These Emergency Operating funds are desperately needed while we prepare a plan for extensive restoration and preservation including application for grants and while we await acceptance of our request for 501c3 non-profit status**. "African American businesses are so important, and its a way that we can continue on," says Sonya Gates, "in the news, they always talk about economic wealth and how African Americans aren't necessarily able to have that 'passed-down' economic wealth. It all starts with a small business like this, and we want to continue this work to pass it on and its legacy to our children." For more information on The Riverside Hotel’s rich legacy please visit our website: www.riversideclarksdale.com or check out this recent article about the Ratliff Family and their family’s fight to save, restore and preserve this valuable and irreplaceable landmark: <a href="https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/"><a href="https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/</a></a> *If The Riverside is UNABLE to open in 2022, our mission will still be to restore and preserve The Riverside; either as a Hotel (when re-opening safely is possible) OR to restore and re-open as a Museum/Historical Landmark for the preservation of Blues/Rock and Roll History, as an asset to the tourism of Clarksdale and the Mississippi Blues Trail and for the legacy of the Ratliff-Gates Family.   **Sonya Gates and Zee Ratliff have applied for 501c3  status and are awaiting approval. For that reason, The Riverside is UNABLE AT THIS TIME to issue tax-deductible donation receipts. As soon as we are able; we will advise our donors/potential donors of our change in status. Thank you for your patience and consideration at this time. If at this time you can donate without expecting a receipt; we Thank You! If you can’t donate at this time but can support our cause we are very grateful for this support, too. Here’s how you can help: • Like/Comment/Share our support on Social Media: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale</a></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theriversidehotelclarksdale/"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_riversideh" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/the_riversideh</a></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/theriversidehotelclarksdale/">otel_clarksdale/</a> • Share our press release with your email contacts. Here is the link to our GoFundMe Press Release: <a href="https://www.riversideclarksdale.com/new-page"><a href="https://www.riversideclarksdale.com/new-page" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.riversideclarksdale.com/new-page</a></a> • When soliciting donations via email to The Riverside’s GoFundMe, please remember to include a personal note to your contacts/friends/family about “why saving The Riverside Hotel matters” to you personally. • Mail physical letters to your friends and families and include a note about “why Saving The Riverside Hotel matters” to you. A copy of the GoFundMe press release can be accessed here: <a href="http://www.riversideclarksdale.com/"><a href="http://www.riversideclarksdale.com/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.riversideclarksdale.com/</a>  </a>or contact us through our website to have a physical copy to be sent to you. • Print and share copies of the wonderful article written by Lauren Wicks about Zee and Sonya and their family’s story of The Riverside in the June 2021 issue of Veranda Magazine: <a href="https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/"><a href="https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.veranda.com/travel/a36686590/riverside-hotel-clarksdale-mississippi/</a></a> • Start or Host a fundraiser in your community; an outdoor live or streamed music event; donate some Blues-related memorabilia or unique, creative items, to encourage donations, and/or ask your employer to match donations at your office or business. Share your ideas and successes with us and on your social media and don’t forget to tag us: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/TheRiversideHotelClarksdale</a></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theriversidehotelclarksdale/"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_riversidehotel_clarksdale/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/the_riversidehotel_clarksdale/</a></a> From The Riverside Hotel to you: “Thank you for all you do to support us! And for helping us preserve an important piece of American History; Civil Rights History, Blues History and the place “where Blues gave birth to Rock and Roll”. Let’s not forget the amazing entrepreneurial spirit of an African American woman in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era who was instrumental in setting the course for safe passage of Black Travelers and Musicians; our Grandmother Mrs. Z.L. Hill. Today, we are one of few black businesses still remaining that were listed in the famed Green Book …Please help us preserve this fragile property and let the amazing legacy of The Riverside Hotel live on…”.

Mrs Plummer

Christine Kelly

Paula Mernin Berglund

Ben Berentson

Elizabeth Uchiyama

Shannon Crisman

Anonymous

Anne Salvatori

Laroysha Ulmer

Noah Cope

LORNA WILSON

Thomas Torborg

Anthony Braunagel

Jenefer Duane

Save Black Family-Owned Historic Blues Hotel

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

be_supporter_comments_enabled_supported_funds

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Save Black Family-Owned Historic Blues Hotel

Still $4,045 to go. Help us build momentum.