St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-02-19
Background Of Student Sit-Downs
At Dixie Store Lunch Counters
BY CECIL NEWMAN

stores who maintain connection with their regular merchan
dse lunch counters uncheonete and other eating facilities
In most of the communities Negroes purchase any of
the merchandise displayed but purchase cup of coffee
and drink at the sandwich meal and
the premises.
Despite quiet and reasonable protests decades from
Negro of these against such treatment in their
food facilities the practice has continued college
teacher purchase fur southern department store
at of $500 but may purchase of coffee and
drink in the store college youth may enter dime
buy school materials socks pair of gloves but
himself the lunch for snack before
ing to the campus with his other purchases
In Negroes sold sandwiches cOkes coffee
the street. but they may the prem
ises if they stand on their feet while eating.
Merchants who have upheld this ntolerable situation
treat behind the local segregation laws and ordinances which
many of them admit unecOnOmica unfair and OutmOded
make effort their influence to change them.
Some merchants claim there is adherence whites
against eating food at the lunch counter with members of
the Negro many of these merchants have Negro cooks
maids nursemaids other help in their homes do many
of their Many white housewives their meals
with female Negro household servants.
While generally the older southern Negroes have
dated themselves the msreament and denial of 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 not happy about the humiliation which they must
suffer seeking accommodation and services which supposed
ly public.
the older Negroes adopted militant atti-
successful Alabama
discrimination resistance movement; the successful
boycott picketng the City retail
protest against lunch and restaurant denial of equal
service virtual closing theatres and other
establishments Tuskegee Ala in reprsa against the
Alabama state legislatures gerrymandng of the town of
Tuskegee-so that Negro nothing say
about the of the city All of these above mentioned
show that the older Negroes also sick and tired of the
oppressive discrimination which they suffer the hands of
firms which food profits from their patronage
The
cedent of the Oklahoma City NAACP Youth Councils
ceful sdown campaign conducted in protest against the
discrimination in that citys stores The Oklahoma
youths their fight to be treated decently
The present situation which has developed 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 that realistically face the relations facts
~ that American Negroes especially the youth, trained to
admire the American Creed exhored July Fourth that
America stands for justice freedom and equality told that
is their duty Americans this nationeven to the
DEATH not going the humiliation and abuse from
places offering public Accommodations that their have
unwilingly accepted in the past.
The organizing agent in the passive itdowns 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 80 years
CORE has initiated and set passive resistance programs
many northern cities against discrimination in public
places especially eating places Years its white and Negro
Minnesota, Hamne and Manchester staged the type of
sdown against Twin City local cafes which Disseminated
against Negroes despite laws against such practices CORE
attained large membership here but did clean the
practices of number of Twin City cafes which excluded pros
pective Negro and other minority group patrons
The organization has been quietly seeking support and
action among both white and Negro southern college and univ
ersy students in drive conduct passive stdowns in the
offending stores.
Those who read the Of the Sidown in Durham
NC have read in the small print in the newspapers
the radio TV in faint that
from Bennett the Negro college joined and supported
the by white students from Duke University This in
enlightened whites in North
fed with such dsgaceu manifestations those
which greet any Negro thirsty for coke, hungry for
sandwich during after shopping any
81 store drug store in the South
puzng symptom which greets the observer of this
attempt by courageous youngsters pacaby demon
against despicable custom unworthy Of civilized
nation the disposition of many whites and few Negroes
crcise the kids who have had the courage challenge
what hope considered in the best US circles IN
American practice.
The has white person who would stand
still for the treatment against which the high school and
college kids North Carolina and Virginia demonstrating
Imagine if you any American free, white and II
younger being refused meal in store where he has
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