Aug. 11, 1964 - Lester Maddox (pictured with his wife Hattie), armed with a pistol and backed by 200 cheering whites, defied the nation’s new Civil Rights Law again today by turning three Negroes away from his Atlanta restaurant.
“You’re dirty Communists, and you’ll never get a piece of fried chicken here,” Maddox shouted, waving his arms but keeping the pistol in its holster at his side.
He first defied the Civil Rights Act hours after President Johnson signed it into law last month by ushering three Negroes from his restaurant, the Pickrick, at pistol point after having armed his white customers with ax handles.
Boxes of ax handles stood inside the doorway to the restaurant today with a sign advertising them for $2 each.
After the first defiance, a three-judge Federal court specifically ordered Maddox to desegregate his restaurant, but he appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that the order be stayed. The court rejected the request yesterday.
During today’s confrontation, one white spectator swung at one of the Negroes but missed. The police quickly stepped between the two.
The three Negroes who sought service were Albert Sampson, executive vice president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, and the Revs. Albert Dunn and Charles Wells.
Maddox intercepted the three at the door and stood arguing with them.
“You’re not here to eat,” he shouted. “You’re here to run us out of business.”
“The Government has told you to integrate,” Sampson replied. “We would like to enter.”
“You’re not about to enter,” Maddox snapped back. “If you live 100 years, you’ll never get a piece of fried chicken here.”
His restaurant specializes in skillet-fried chicken.
When he referred to the integrationists as Communists, Sampson asked: “Are you calling President Johnson a Communist?”
“Yes, yes,” shouted someone in the crowd.
Sampson repeated the question, and finally Maddox, his face flushed, replied, “No, but you’re a Communist, and you’re not coming in.”
Throughout the exchange, white patrons shouted at the Negroes.
“Push that black boy out of the front of that door,” one of them yelled.
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