1956 - segregated lunch counter in Tennessee

[packman]

Young , long-haired punk sits at counter waiting for his bacon and eggs while elderly black woman stands waiting for her sandwich.

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[COLGATE4]

1. While I understand the sentiment

it seems to me that there are a whole lot of assumptions being made from this one photo. The young man seated doesn't strike me as being a "long-haired punk". To the contrary, he appears to be neatly dressed in a suit and (presumably) tie. The hair style was very typical in the 50's and certainly wasn't confined to 'punks'.

In addition, another, white man appears to be standing. Is he waiting for something? Clearly he isn't being denied seating. We also don't know from the picture whether the AA lady is being denied seating or is waiting for take out.

[packman]

2. Jesus, lighten up man

Quit steppen' on my blue suede shoes.

[Brickbat]

3. The photo is remarkable because of who the seated man is.

[bemildred]

10. +1. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Seriously, he ain't nothin but a hound dog.

[garagedoor]

8. A Little Historical Clarification

If this is 1956 and in the state of Tennessee, Black people were not allowed to sit and be served. The Whites could sit OR stand since they were given the full measure of respect accorded to free people. In some establishments, Black people were not allowed to enter the same entrances as Whites. This jimcrow law is what the lunch counter sit-ins starting in Greensboro, NC (in 1960) hoped to underscore and eventually eradicate.

[COLGATE4]

13. All true. And none of which negates

any of the points I mentioned. Blacks were permitted to buy food at lunch counters - they weren't permitted to sit and eat it there. So many bought it and took it somewhere else.

[Brickbat]

11. I mean, yeah, you're right, she is waiting for take out!

Because she's being denied a place to sit down. Because this photo was taken in Tennessee in 1958, when lunch counters were segregated.

[COLGATE4]

12. Being segregated didn't mean that they wouldn't

provide food to AA clients - they couldn't sit down and eat it in the restaurant.

[Brickbat]

14. Right. And?

[COLGATE4]

15. There's no way to tell if she was waiting for a take-out order

or not sitting because she wasn't permitted to.

[Brickbat]

16. If you're saying there's no way to tell simply because you're unaware of when the photo was taken,

and you're looking at it entirely without context, then yeah, I suppose you could say that. But because we know it was taken in 1958, we know that she is waiting for take out, because she is not permitted to sit at the counter, because lunch counters were segregated in Tennessee at that time. Any food she orders is, by definition, take out, because she can't eat there.

[COLGATE4]

17. OK. After all that, what's your point? You seem to agree

that she's waiting for take out. Others allege that she's standing because she's denied a seat (and therefore must eat standing up).

[Brickbat]

18. My point was refuting yours: "We also don't know from the picture whether the AA lady is being

denied seating or is waiting for take out."

We do know. She is being denied seating because it's a segregated counter. So she's waiting for take out.

[COLGATE4]

19. We're both saying the same thing.

.

[n2doc]

5. Funny, he doesn't look all shook up to me

Maybe a hound dog?

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. Hahaha Jinx ^

[olddots]

6. wow never seen this pic

that was not taken with a little digi camera and required great skill .Its real art .

[snooper2]

7. Dude sitting there doesn't eat bacon, and the nice lady is waiting for a refund

Because they fucked up her burger order