User talk:Hillside58fw

I want to talk about FW Woolworth and the Sit-ins that kickoff the Civil Rights Era. There was a suburban community outside of Chicago named Hillside, Il. It might still be there. There was big shopping center there and FW Woolworth was a major store in that center. They had a lunch counter/restaurant. The kitchen was staffed by three (3) of my Aunts. Two of them prepared the entrees and the other did all the baking. I got hired as a bus boy. this was in 1958. My very first job. Since the community was all-white, no Black people tried to have lunch there. At least, not for the earliest months that I worked there. We were allowed to eat at the counter (the last bay would be closed nearest the kitchen if paying customers were not available). At some point, 6-9 months after starting work there, a few African-American employees of other stores in the shopping center would come in and they would be served. Yes, it was a big deal, but no one called the cops, nor did anyone beat up on them, throw things at them...some white people would not sit next to them, others left, others complained, but the management at that store did not cave. As I stated, this was 1958-59. This may be the first FW Woolworth to openly serve Black people in the country. I eventually left the employment of FW Woolworth, because the travel time was nearly 3 hours from the Westside of Chicago to Hillside, Illinois. After a certain hour, the last bus (The Bluebird Line) left the center, and you would have to walk miles to catch a bus to carry you to a connection to Chicago. Living history. I am in my late 60's now, an the newscast commemorating this day brought the experience back to me. This all can be verified. I am sure the employee records are in a vault somewhere...archived. I can named the restaurant manager and provide the names of my Aunts for cross reference. I can also name several of the white "wait staff", teenagers like myself. I would sure like this store and story to take its place in history.