Food and restaurants played a surprisingly important role in the civil rights movement (Credit: Getty Images)
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According to Smith, Black-owned restaurants, and even home cooks, were in many ways the bedrock of the movement, putting lives and livelihoods on the line for justice. They provided more than meals; they offered safe spaces to meet and strategise, gave moral support, and in some cases, covered travel and bail costs that were out of reach for many of the working-class activists. Whether through fundraisers, bake sales or out-of-pocket donations, Black business owners throughout the US South used their success and community status to do the quiet work of funding a revolution.
The anniversaries of these momentous events come as the US wrestles with the implications of sweeping funding cuts to institutions that support African American history. “Whether it’s in university spaces, in federal agencies [or] just in everyday lives, these kinds of stories are being erased or sidelined,” Smith said. “But food can be that space to recover [them].”
AlamyThough many of the businesses from the movement have closed, there are several restaurants across the South that were once important hubs for strategy, solidarity and community. Here are five you can still visit:
Dooky Chase in New Orleans, Louisiana
A New Orleans institution known for its classic Creole cooking, Dooky Chase was a hotspot for civil rights organisers, lawyers and freedom fighters in the 1950s and still offers classic New Orleans dishes like seafood gumbo to politicians and celebrities today. Not only were civil rights icons like Thurgood Marshall, Ernest “Dutch” Morial and Oretha Castle Haley all frequent patrons, but chef Leah Chase, sometimes called the “Queen of Creole Cuisine”, transformed its dining room into a gallery space for the city’s African American artists.
Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit in Montgomery, Alabama
Originally opened in 1942 as the Siesta Club, Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit has been a staple in Montgomery ever since. Brenda’s back room was used as a safe haven during the Montgomery bus boycott, where organisers could meet and create leaflets to hand out in support of the movement. It was also where owner Jereline Bethune taught reading and writing classes to help African Americans pass the discriminatory literacy tests required to vote in elections. Today, the tiny, brick take-out joint still serves up some of the best barbecue in the city, though visitors should be sure to bring cash.
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