▁ra cial ▁violence , ▁board ed - up ▁store front s ▁and ▁abandoned ▁buildings ▁sign aled ▁the ▁mass ▁ex od us ▁toward ▁the ▁safety ▁of ▁more ▁eth n ically ▁controlled ▁neighborhood s . ▁Having ▁been ▁under ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁a ▁black ▁mayor , ▁Carl ▁B . ▁Sto kes , ▁would ▁be ▁their ▁ins urance ▁against ▁such ▁violent ▁u pr is ings , ▁and ▁fear ing ▁an ▁all - out ▁race ▁war , ▁previously ▁successful ▁white ▁business ▁own ers ▁left ▁the ▁inner ▁city ▁in ▁dro ves ▁and ▁never ▁looked ▁back . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁se izing ▁the ▁moment ▁and ▁purch asing ▁many ▁commercial ▁properties , ▁W inst on ▁E . ▁Will is ▁set ▁about ▁clean ing ▁up ▁the ▁finan cially ▁dev ast ated ▁corner ▁block . ▁He ▁rev ital ized ▁this ▁bl ight ed ▁area ▁with ▁bright ly ▁lit ▁color ful ▁buildings , ▁well - run ▁stores , ▁and ▁ 2 4 - hour ▁security , ▁and ▁created ▁an ▁inner - city ▁Disney land . ▁Movie ▁the aters , ▁pen ny ▁arc ades , ▁restaur ants , ▁bars , ▁adult ▁book ▁stores , ▁office ▁su ites , ▁cl othing ▁stores , ▁and ▁beauty ▁and ▁bar ber ▁sh ops ▁transformed ▁the ▁desert ed ▁corner ▁block ▁and ▁brought ▁renew ed ▁prosper ity ▁to ▁the ▁black ▁community . ▁The ▁new ▁'" 1 0 5 th ▁and ▁Eu cl id , ▁sometimes ▁known ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁as ▁" The ▁Block ," ▁or ▁" The ▁Five ," ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁"