Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1963-03-13
Douglass
By TERRIE MCNEIL
and JACQUELYN STEWART

What is the chatter around
Douglass High in the zenith
month of the school term?
Most of the chatter is about
Il most unfortunate incident
which occurred Wednesday
night. March 6. 1868.
SIEVE al students of our
school went TO Ritz Theater
here in Tabor City to see the
very famous story Little Wo-
men" by Louisa NJ. Alcott
Every since the announcement
that Little Women" would be
shown at Ritz Theater. faculty
! members of the school had
| continuously advised students
to see this picture. On the ar
rival of students to the theater.
they found that no Negroes
would be permitted to see the
/ picture for the whites had
been seated in the balcony
which had always been the
segregated seating for Negroes.
When several of the parents
inquired why the students had
been deprived of their former
seating place, the manager in
formed them that reserva-
ton was needed and that he
had sent notices to schools.
The parents then asked did he
send notice to Douglass High
and he said no.
Despite the fact that the
manager said a reservation was
needed. several whites were
seen entering without reserva-
tionS.
We realize that Ritz Theater
is a privately owned business
Yet it is for the public. Are
Negroes not part of the pub
lie. How would YOU feel if YOU
had been barred from a public
place which you had previous
ly attended?
Several students who attemp-
ted to attend the movie express
their feeling:
This is what Betty Bethany
and Brenda Wilson said: We
don't think its a civilized man
ner at all because since our
mothers work in their kitchens
and baby sit for their babies
and hold them in our laps. then
why do they think we are so
contaminated that we can't sit
beside them?
Terrie Mcneil has this ito
say: was among those who
wanted TO be entertained by
the movie Little Women" but
was refused because ! am
Negro.
Previously. | frcquentcd the
/ movies at least once week.
never before had | been re-
| fused for any reasons. WedneS-
day night. the manager told
us. he had reserved the bal
cony for whites. However |
saw white families enter the
balcony without reservations.
Never before in the history of
/ Tabor City. have Negroes had
to make reservations to use the
segregated balcony of the
| theater.
| THE manager completely
I puzzled me when he said we
could only 60 up for Is or 80
minutes. When the movies
lasted for approximately 2
hours. because the white pa
irons wouldn't want to sit be-
side us. Seemingly. inasmuch
as the balcony has always been
set aside for Negroes. the
whites would have gladly
shared the balcony with us. in
order to see the famous story
of Little Women. that is if
they really appreciated the
literary value. On the other
hand. did the manager imply
that Negroes aren't good
enough to sit behide whites.
then actually our parents rock
and nurse their babies. cook
their meals and even tend
their sick.
Jacquclyn Stewart: Person
ally. I am in favor of com
pletely boycotting or picketing
the theater. however. many of
the students aren't allowed by
their parents to actually picket
the theater.
Though the parents are just
as hurt as we are over the
4, grave injustice in infrinzed on
us. They are chicken. Our par
cnts in general fear they have
everything to lose. when they
have nothing. unless you con-
slider $1,000 week job
something. when the minimum
wages set by Congress is Sl.15
per hour.
We respect our parents
wishes and obey them. though
we know they are wrong in
preventing us from fighting
/ fnr ci,i iihcrtiec and yyo arc