Arizona sun., 1950-01-20


The Greater Phoenix Council for
Civic unity has been furnished this
detailed report on disgraceful in
cident of the worst southern type
of racial discrimination that has
ever happened in the state of Ari
zona. The five students who COM
posed the party gave the following
revelation Of the outrageous Incl
dent:
"On the evening of the Oath of
December, we entered restaurant
called the Kitchen Castle, in Flag
staff, Arizona, and were informed
that the establishment did not serve
colored people. There were five
students in our group from the Uni
versity of California, members of
Wesley Foundation, en- route to
national conference of Methodist
students in Urbana, Illinois. Among
us was Olu Awani, a pre-medical
student from Nigeria, West Africa.
When we had left the restaurant,
the Nigerian student realized that
we were being Disseminated against
because of his color, and requested
that we return. Not understanding
the extent of racial discrimination
in America, he asked the waitress
why he could not eat there. She
summoned the manager from the
kitchen, and he pointed to sign on
the wall: I'VE reserve the right to
refuse service to anyone" He asked
Awani to leave, and Awani asked
him reasons why. The waitress
emerged from the kitchen and ask
ed Awani to come to the telephone.
We suspected possible violence, and
Awani stated that he knew no one
in that city and did not wish to talk
to the unnamed person on the
phone. She stated it was the sher-
iff who had been on the telephone.
A deputy sheriff entered the res
taurant and asked us to leave. Ava
nj assumed that he could reason
with the deputy, and asked the dep
uty to give him reasons for his ex-
pulsion and to read his British-Ni-
gerian passport. The passport con-
tanned request from the British
government that its bearer be given
help and protection while in this
country. The deputy refused to read
the passport or reason with AWani,
and told him that he didn't want
any argument. Awani held out his
passport and questioned the deputy,
and the deputy lost his temper and
showed Mr.. Awani heavily into a
corner of the room. Mr.. Awani
states that the deputy struck him
very violently on the nose. The Nj
gerian was excited, but did not ply
sically resist the officer. His arms
were at his sides. Opinions of on
lockers differ as to whether or not
the deputy slapped Awani with the
palms of his hands. The sheriff
pushed Awani to the floor and fore
ed him to his knees and appeared
to strike him several times, and an
other student, Del Maher, interven-
ed and tried to separate the two.
The sheriff backed into corner
saying, "Resist an officer, will you
-yOQ lie UOIl O41OCA oA4CoI, oAAN
drawing his revolver he ordered
them to get into his patrol-car out
side; and, as they were leaving, he
pushed Maher onto the sidewalk,
grabbing him by the shoulder and
ripping his shirt. At no time did
Maher strike or threaten to strike
the officer. The report we have
heard that we advanced upon the
officer or struck him, we emphati-
cally deny.
The two men entered the patrol
car without offering resistance, and
were driven to the county Jail,
where Awani was booked with dis
turbing the peace and Maher for
resisting an officer. After fifteen
minutes in an overheated jailroom,
the police magistrate arrived and
gave the two students their choice
of waiting until Tuesday, December
9th. for trial, or paying fine OF
ten dollars each. The students paid
the fine and continued on their way