Allen Temple AME, a large African-American church in Bond Hill, has canceled a concert at the downtown Aronoff Center for the Arts that last year drew about 2,000 people.

        Church leaders said Tuesday the September show featuring opera star Denyce Graves was called off primarily because of the city's racial climate.

        The Rev. Donald Jordan Sr., pastor, said racial tensions have made it difficult to have successful events downtown — black or white.

        He said church officials feared they would not be able to sell enough tickets because of the boycott, and the church was having trouble finding a corporate sponsor for the event.

        “It was purely an economic decision, but the boycott obviously played in our minds,” the Rev. Mr. Jordan said. “It's a tragedy we had to cancel this thing, but there is no way we can keep it going in the present environment.”

        The minister said city leaders must begin to address economic development issues in the African-American community.

        “They need to get that stuff over with,” he said.

        Ms. Graves is an American mezzo-soprano and star of the Metropolitan Opera. She entertained a sold-out Cincinnati Opera crowd in July 2000 with her reprisal of Amneris in the stage production Aida.

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