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This is a story from the past in Montgomery County that involved
our UUCSS youth group and me—I was Doris Jirikowic then—a
youth advisor.
It was a time of changes—from a closed society to a more
open society, from unfairness to fairness—and we Unitarians
were involved in working towards these changes.
The youth group of about 6 or 8 boys and girls, including William,
the adopted son of our minister, Fred Cappucino, decided to have
an outing in a Rockville bowling alley. We arrived in early afternoon
with 2 cars, 3 adults, and the kids, and settled in to change to
bowling shoes. The manager suddenly called me over to the bar and
told me we would have to leave because they did not serve black
people in his establishment. William is black. I told him in response
that he was breaking the law; we would leave but he would hear from
us.
I went back to the group and told them to put their shoes back
on and we were going someplace else because we were not welcome
there. We went to a miniature golf course for the remainder of the
afternoon, had ice cream treats, and went home. The group did not
discuss the happening at the time but I think they all knew what
it was—blatant racism. William’s feelings were protected
by the kids that day.
I immediately got in touch with the county's human relations committee,
whose chairman I knew as a friend. They called a meeting, and I
appeared before them. The NAACP was contacted and the owner was
notified that he was breaking the new public accommodations law
and must cease and desist. He refused to conform and a hearing was
scheduled. In the meantime, the situation was covered by the press
and my phone rang often. I was called a [racial slur of the
era] lover and was threatened. So was the church. The day of
the hearing was approaching, and all of us were prepared—the
NAACP, the human rights committee, and our board. Suddenly the bowling
alley capitulated and said it had decided to abide by the law and
open its doors to all. The NAACP called later to congratulate me
but asked me to return to the bowling alley with the kids to test
its compliance. I told them that was their job, not ours. William
never knew about his place in the history of Montgomery County,
Maryland.
—Doris L. Berg
Published in the Uniter 02-04-03
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