Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1951-03-31
IF YOU FLY-YOU KNOW

- W Il ~ = IOO hNON
Richmond, Va. = If you fly, you
already know that flying in the
South has its ups and downs for
the Negro traveller. First YOU
know that you are just another
American. Then you know that you
aren't.
Believe it or not, here in the
beautiful Richmond airport, I feel.
| suppose, as any other American
who might be waiting here for
flight into the wide blue yonder.
Knoxville is the only other south
ern city that | would compare with
Richmond in it's treatment of Negro
air passengers.
When | arrived here this morn
1 ing from Atlanta, | ate breakfast
IN the terminal restaurant. AS best
| recall, and I've been in a lot of
southern airports, could have done
that no where else save in Knox
vile.
In this pattern, Oklahoma City,
Kansas City, ST. Louis and Wash
ington, ID. c., are outside of the
South. Negroes are served without
question in the airport restaurants
of these cities. Almost anywhere
you may obtain cup of coffee and
that about ends it.
Some months ago, | was going
from Little Rock to Montgomery.
At Little Rock, had very light
breakfast. When | arrived in Mem
phis, it was well past lunch time,
and | felt it. Appearing in the
dining room, | was offered service
on the balcony waiting area.
Since l gave up balconies as a
movie struck boy back in Atlanta,
| could not accept such for a meal,
as hungry as | was that day in
Memphis. So | assembled myself
at the snack counter and stood over
milk-shake with some other Am
orleans.
The next stop enroute to Mont
gomery was Birmingham. There, |
had a wait before the final hop to
the Alabama capitol. BY the time
| arrived in Birmingham, | knew
that if | didn't eat soon | wouldn't
be able to step aboard the Mont
gomery plane two and half hours
later.
Feeling that the airline that
picked up my last passage coupon
had some responsibility for my
welfare, | drew myself up to that
airline's ticket agent and announc-
ed my fate. "Surely, we will serve
you," said the lady, an call joe"
Joe, | thought, was somewhere
punching bags.
But this was another "Joe" and
at that moment, along he came.
The bags-those he was rushing
over to be checked for the next
flight out. And, he was back in
flash to get me a menu. Where
would | eat. In the baggage roomi
Again, / couldn't make it.
| must admit, in my physical
state, | somewhat wished for Boss
Crump's Memphis. There l would
have had waiter, rather than an
aircap. They declared that | would
have had the same type of table
that the white folks were using,
here it would have been airfreight.
After breakfast this morning in
Richmond, the regular airport
limousine carried me into the city.
If | had wanted to go to one of
the uptown hotels, | would have
been dropped there just as other
passengers are carried to the John
Marshall.
In too many southern cities,
Negroes are not permitted to use
the regularly furnished airport
transportation. And | do not know
of another city in the South where
hotels are serviced, with ones for
Negroes being included. Here, they
will take you to Slaughter's and
return for you.
But if you are in Houston, New
Orleans, Miami, Jacksonville, Sa-
vannah or Memphis, for instance,
you are going to have Special"
service, airport to the city. Furth-
er, if you aren't alert, this "spe-
cial" service will cost you time and
money.
After flying for quite a time,
I've learned to save both. If | am
considered special" at the next
airport, this one must inform it
that | enroute-"a special guy
and that | want my Special SER
vice waiting. Then, | no longer pay
extra for being considered "spe-
cial."
If Mister Charlie rides to Jack
sonville for one buck-me too. So
when | go to Jaxson some airline
pays the extra dollar that the cab
costs. In Houston | pick up $1.85,
and IN Shreveport, the airline paid,
even, the extra fifteen cents that
was suppose to pay for being
special"