Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-02-19
Background Of Student Sit-Downs
AZ Dixie Store Lunch Counters
BY CZECH. NEWMAN


toners and their ncke dimes dollars with retail
stores in southern cities and Much of this money
been spent with the dime and drugstore chains
stores Who maintain in connection with their regular merchan
disc lunch counters uncheonees and other eating facilities
In most of the communities Negroes may purchase any
the merchandise displayed but may purchase of coffee
and drink it at the counter a sandwich meal and it
the premises.
Despite quiet and reasonable protests decades from
Negro patrons of these stores against such treatment in their
food facilities the practice has continued. college
teacher purchase fur coat in southern department
at cost of $500 but purchase of Coffee and
drink in the store college youth may enter dime
store buy school materials socks pair of gloves but
himself lunch before return
ing to the campus with his other purchases ~
In most stores Negroes sold sandwiches cokes coffee
to eat the street. but they not the prem
ises even if they stand on their feet while eating
Merchants who have upheld this ntoerabe situation
treat behind the local segregation laws and ordinances which
of them admit unecOnomca unfair and outmode
make effort to their influence to change them
Some merchants claim there is adherence among whites
against eating food at the lunch counter with members
the Negro Yet of these merchants have Negro cooks
maids nursemaid and other help in their homes do many
of their Many white housewives their
with female Negro household servants.
While generally the older southern Negroes have
dated themselves to the misreamen and denial of equal service
by the firms with which they yearly spend millions of dollars
the younger college trained Negro the young who have
served in the armed forces protect American democracy
certainly happy about the humiliation which they must
suffer in seeking accommodation and services which supposed
ly public.
Even the older Negroes have adopted militant at
udes shown by the successful Montgomery Alabama
discrimination passive resistance movements the successful
boycott and pcketng of the Kansas City, No. retail
protest against lunch counter and denial of equal
service and the virtual closing of stores theatres and other
service establishments in Tukegee A in repral against the
Alabama state legislatures gerrymandng of the town Of
TuskegesO that Negro residents would have nothing say
about the the All of these above mentioned
facts show that the older Negroes also sick and tired of the
oppressive discrimination which they suffer the hands of
firms which great profits from their patronage.
The present situation which has developed in North Caro-
lima communities and in the of Virginia symptoms of
problems and which will continue until southern white
leadership and the national chains which control many local
outlets in that realistically face the relations facts of
e that American Negroes especially the youth trained
admire the American Creed exhorted July Fourth that
America stands for justice freedom and equality told that
is their duty Americans to this naOneven the
DEATH not going to accept the humiliation and abuse from
places offering public Accommodations which their parents have
unwllingly accepted in the past.
The North Carolina and Virginia students had the pre-
cedent Of the Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Councils
cesul dOwn campaign conducted in protest against the
discrimination in that cys stores The Oklahoma
youths their fight to be treated decenty.
The organizing agent in the passive Etdowns against
discrimination which has been generally followed In the
latest incidents CORE the Council Of Race Equality which
said to be American Friends (Quaker inspired inter
racial group which had been in existence for 80 years
CORE has initiated and up passive resistance programs
in many northern cities against discrimination in public
places especially eating places Years its white and Negro
members mostly college students from University of
Minnesota Hamine and Macaeser staged the type of
sdown against Twin City local cafes which Disseminated
against Negroes despite state laws against such practices CORE
attained large membership here but did clean up the
practices of number of Twin City cafes which excluded pros
pectve Negro and other minority group patrons
The organization has been quietly seeking support and
action among both white and Negro southern college and univ
ersity students in drive conduct passive sdowns in the
offending stores.
Those who read the account of the sdown in Durham
NC may have read in the small print the newspapers
heard the radio TV in faint that Negro
from Bennett the Negro college joined and supported
the sdown by white students from Duke University This in
dicaes there enlightened whites in North Carolina
who fed up with such dgracefu manifestations those
which greet any Negro thirsty for coke, hungry for
sandwich meal during after shopping in almost any
ten cent or 81 store drug store in the South
The puzzng symptom which greets the observer of this
latest attempt by courageous youngsters peacaby demon
against depicable custom unworthy Of civilized
nation the disposition of many whites and few Negroes
cricse the kids who have had the courage challenge
what hope considered in the best US circles On
American practice.
The writer has met white person who would stand
still for the treatment against which the young high school and
Imagine you can any American, free, white and Il