Movie - Hidden Figures - Jim Crow law signage

**GPCharles** · January-12-17, 10:59 AM

I saw Hidden Figures last weekend and liked it. I was appalled by the Jim Crow law signage portrayed in the film.

On thing occurred to me - I had never seen a "White Only" or "Colored Only" sign on a bathroom, drinking fountain, etc. I was born in the early 1950s and never traveled to the south before the late 1960s when I was a teenager. We flew to Florida, so no travel through small towns. Were those types of signs gone by then?

**catch22** · January-12-17, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

I saw Hidden Figures last weekend and liked it. I was appalled by the Jim Crow law signage portrayed in the film.

On thing occurred to me - I had never seen a "White Only" or "Colored Only" sign on a bathroom, drinking fountain, etc. I was born in the early 1950s and never traveled to the south before the late 1960s when I was a teenager. We flew to Florida, so no travel through small towns. Were those types of signs gone by then?

My grandfather retired and moved to a small town in South Carolina. In 1959, when I was 7, we drove down there for our summer vacation. One day, our parents dropped us off at the town park so they could do some shopping. The park had two of everything - rest rooms, picnic area, swings, slides, water fountain, etc., each labeled "White Only" or "Colored Only." So it lasted at least that long.

**dtowncitylover** · January-12-17, 11:59 AM

I will say that the Negro Motorist Green Book was published until 1966 to provide information to black travelers about safe and welcoming accommodations. So yes, probably until a little bit after the '64 Civil Rights Act.

**Richard** · January-12-17, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

I saw Hidden Figures last weekend and liked it. I was appalled by the Jim Crow law signage portrayed in the film.

On thing occurred to me - I had never seen a "White Only" or "Colored Only" sign on a bathroom, drinking fountain, etc. I was born in the early 1950s and never traveled to the south before the late 1960s when I was a teenager. We flew to Florida, so no travel through small towns. Were those types of signs gone by then?

The signs are still around in some small Deep South towns,albeit faded but not removed,there are also small towns that a white person would most definitely not want to be caught in also.

Not sure why you were so appalled by seeing the sign in the film,would you prefer to erase a part of history so future generations cannot see and learn what it was really like and strive to not repeat it?

**Lowell** · January-12-17, 04:06 PM

During my my Peace Corps training in Baker, LA in 1968 the local coin laundromat still had "Whites Only" painted on the window. Alone there one day, waiting on my clothes tumbling in the dryer, I took a nickel and scraped it off.

**Richard** · January-12-17, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

During my my Peace Corps training in Baker, LA in 1968 the local coin laundromat still had "Whites Only" painted on the window. Alone there one day, waiting on my clothes tumbling in the dryer, I took a nickel and scraped it off.

And to this day white clothing is still not sold in that town,because there is no place to wash them.

**Lowell** · January-12-17, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

And to this day white clothing is still not sold in that town, because there is no place to wash them.

I remember having that that same thought. But since far more laundry is colored I made them more money. By then segregation had been overturned over of course. Some places “hadn’t got around” to removing vestiges so I thought I would help them out.

**Jimaz** · January-12-17, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

During my my Peace Corps training in Baker, LA in 1968 the local coin laundromat still had "Whites Only" painted on the window. Alone there one day, waiting on my clothes tumbling in the dryer, I took a nickel and scraped it off.

Hilarious. I would have framed that brave little nickel.

Between '64 and '66 we lived in New Orleans and encountered twin, no-longer-labeled drinking fountains. Our parents had to explain to us why there were two.

During enrollment in public elementary school there, our parents were required to certify that we kids had some percentage of racial blood [[minimum white/maximum colored? I don't recall specifics.) We still have that letter in our family archives somewhere.

Dad worked for NASA on the Saturn V project. When NASA learned of this "racial certification requirement" all Hell broke loose. In the end the principal sheepishly apologized and enrolled us without certification.

NASA was not amused.

**Jimaz** · January-12-17, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

...NASA was not amused.

Not until after I posted that did I recognize that the film "Hidden Figures" was at all related to NASA. That's spooky. Now I'm left wondering how Katherine Johnson influenced my own life.

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**Honky Tonk** · January-13-17, 12:14 PM

Okay, I'm hooked, I want to see it. It's starting @ Cinema Detroit this evening.

**Bobl** · January-13-17, 02:11 PM

Our Canadian neighbors had their own issues. I remember a bar in Wallaceburg, Ontario, in the 1960s, that still had a ladies only entrance door.

**Honky Tonk** · January-13-17, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Our Canadian neighbors had their own issues. I remember a bar in Wallaceburg, Ontario, in the 1960s, that still had a ladies only entrance door.

Canada still has separate bathrooms for men and women. @ least our Country has made advances in that field.

**Zacha341** · January-14-17, 07:26 AM

^^^ I prefer separate bathrooms for men and women.

Target has the deep pockets [[20 mill) to have the third option. Most small businesses will not.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/17/news...m-transgender/