[AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or so

[Kathy]

Thanks Michele, I am at a loss for words.
Kathy
On Jul 17, 2010, at 3:18 PM, michele mason wrote:


> I did, but they were also the salt of the earth, country people.  

> Some made it clear without actually saying anything direct, accept  

> the "n" word and there wasn't hatred behind it, but the belief that  

> people were not to mix. There were one, or two who were "trash",  

> who might have threatened me, had I not been at a family gathering,  

> or in the churchyard. As far as the word goes, it was just a word  

> they had always heard. Its hard to explain to anyone, but a  

> Southerner. They did believe whites better in some ways, but if a  

> black farmer were a neighbor and needed help with his animals, had  

> a broken pump, or whatever,  he knew he could ask most of my uncles  

> for help and get it. If an emergency, my uncles would shut down the  

> tractor, or stop right then, "holler" to my aunt, where he was  

> going, and be there until it was fixed. My mother was born small  

> and survived because a black woman lived down the road with her own  

> new born and nursed my mother. I was never told her name, nor ever  

> met her. If not for her, I would not be sitting here. The tangles  

> of our relationships involved respect, honor, and ignorance and  

> much much more often than not, they were not a simple matter. So  

> maybe rabid doesn't describe them. But, when I had  my first mixed  

> son, my father paid off my car, sent me the pink slip and told me I  

> was dead, never to  set foot on his property again. Even though he  

> loved me as he was dying, he never gave me another penny, nor  

> called his grandsons by name. He cheated himself. Ok, I'm almost,  

> finally, too tired to  assault you further with my memoir.  Kathy,  

> that was family, others have done terrible things. One racist man  

> just in the last 4 years, attacked my family and it cost every  

> penny I had to save us. I want justice and peace. It feels like  

> "soul-killing" to me right now, but I am hanging on by faith. There  

> was and still is killing, but I don't think they got as many souls  

> as bodies.

> What you did was just as important because you could and you did  

> and thats what each person who will, does. Look what Jim innocently  

> writ into. Sorry Jim, I wasn't a standin, just a butt-in.

> Bye guys, later

>

> On Jul 17, 2010, at 1:57 PM, Kathy wrote:

>

>>  In the beginning Chipotle was  a McDonald's non core business.

>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill.

>>

>> Sounds like it's a place you should go with a friend to share a  

>> burrito- $4 each is a purty good deal.

>>

>> K

>>

>>  Thank each one of you for your stand ups and sit downs on behalf  

>> of  integration, and all of humanity. I never lived where any of  

>> that existed and am still shocked by the awful reality. By the  

>> time I came to Texas in 1964 much was improved and  picketing Roys  

>> Lounge and going around East Austin telling people the pole tax  

>> was abolished and giving them forms to register to vote, was all I  

>> could do. The soul-killing reality of before  did not really sink in.

>>

>> I am more recently shocked  by the persistence of racism. Do any  

>> of you have relatives who are rabidly racist? What do you do at  

>> family reunions?

>>

>> On Jul 17, 2010, at 12:40 PM, Frances Morey wrote:

>>

>>> Yes, I remember that. But I disagree that Chipotle is an  

>>> improvement. They insist on selling you a pound of food for about  

>>> $8, sorta like Whole Foods. Except unlike WF you are not allowed  

>>> to buy any less than that. It is at least twice as much as the  

>>> average person needs.

>>> Best,

>>> Frances

>>>

>>> From: Michael Eisenstadt <mike.eisenstadt at gmail.com>

>>> To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s  

>>> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

>>> Sent: Sat, July 17, 2010 11:51:19 AM

>>> Subject: Re: [AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or so

>>>

>>> What was the name of the cafeteria on Congress & 9th

>>> (where Chipotle is now)? It was a chain headquartered

>>> in Louisiana and was segrated until the Civil Rights act

>>> was passed. I don't remember it being picketed but maybe

>>> it was.

>>>

>>> ----- Original Message -----

>>> From: "Fontaine Maverick" <fontainem at att.net>

>>> To: "Frances Morey" <frances_morey at yahoo.com>; "survivors'  

>>> reminiscences

>>> about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s" <austin-ghetto- 

>>> list at pairlist.net>

>>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 8:34 AM

>>> Subject: Re: [AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or so

>>>

>>>

>>> > This is interesting. I hadn't remembered that about the Night  

>>> Hawk. In the

>>> sixth

>>> > grade (58?), I went to Woolworth's for grilled cheese before  

>>> the movie at

>>> the

>>> > Paramount or State & didn't even notice that neither was  

>>> integrated. As a

>>> 12

>>> > year old from San Antonio, I was blissfully unaware of the  

>>> "colored only"

>>> > restrooms on the outskirts of Austin. Took a greyhound down to  

>>> Lockhart to

>>> see

>>> > my recently transplanted best friend and was shocked to see one  

>>> as I gazed

>>> out

>>> > of the bus. Woke me the hell up. It wasn't much later that my  

>>> mom started

>>> taking

>>> > me to the Varsity stand-ins.

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > ________________________________

>>> > From: Frances Morey <Frances_Morey at yahoo.com>

>>> > To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s

>>> > <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

>>> > Sent: Sat, July 17, 2010 12:36:59 AM

>>> > Subject: Re: [AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or so

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > Harry Akins as mayor had a meeting with the other restaurant  

>>> owners and

>>> told

>>> > them that if they all integrate their facilities at the same  

>>> time then

>>> there

>>> > would be no grounds for singling out any one of them to  

>>> effectively

>>> boycott over

>>> > the issue. They saw the logic of that and the public  

>>> accommodations

>>> ordinance

>>> > passed and the restaurants were integrated overnight. That's  

>>> the story I

>>> > remember.

>>> > Best,

>>> > Frances

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > ________________________________

>>> > From: Michael Eisenstadt <mike.eisenstadt at gmail.com>

>>> > To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s

>>> > <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

>>> > Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 4:27:06 PM

>>> > Subject: Re: [AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or so

>>> >

>>> > I arrived in Austin only in 1963. I do remember participating in

>>> > a protest at a gas station on the drag which did not serve

>>> > African-Americans. At that time Harry Akins' Night Hawk

>>> > restaurants were the ONLY integrated restaurants. The

>>> > next year, spring 1964, the City Council considered but

>>> > did not pass an equal access ordinance. Their excuse was

>>> > that Congress was working on Civil Rights laws which indeed

>>> > were passed that year, forced through Congress by then

>>> > Pres. LBJ.

>>> >

>>> > Mike eisenstadt

>>> >

>>> > ----- Original Message -----

>>> > From: "Jim McCulloch" <mcculloch at mail.utexas.edu>

>>> > To: <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

>>> > Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 10:39 PM

>>> > Subject: [AGL] Theater stand-ins in Austin 1961 or  so

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > > Chandler Davidson is arranging a reunion in December of  

>>> people who

>>> > > participated in the standins.  Some members of the list may have

>>> > > participated, and if Chandler has not  contacted you and you  

>>> would be

>>> > > interested in such a reunion, you can reach Chandler at  

>>> fcd at rice.edu

>>> > >

>>> > > As I understand it, the reunion would be in Austin.

>>> > >

>>> > > --Jim McCulloch

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>

>


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