Even though many improvements were made to the Grand Opera House, one part of the theater has not been updated and that is the Jim Crow balcony.  The steepness of the balcony makes the renovation very difficult, but future plans are to make it usable.  Interestingly, another theater was built in Macon by a prominent African American businessman to meet the entertainment opportunities for black performers.  The Douglass Theater was built in 1911 and hosted black performers like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey and later in their history, Otis Redding, James Brown and Little Richard. 

After closing in 1975, it was renovated and reopened in 1997, and now serves all races and cultures with events, films and performances.  It even served as a location in the TV series, Watchmen in 2020.