August 12, 1964
Event Details
Date: August 12, 1964
Summary: A federal judge sets a hearing for one week later to determine whether Maddox is in contempt of court. The court serves the papers on Maddox, requiring him to show cause why he shouldn’t be held in contempt.
FBI agents and other individuals attempt to enter the restaurant, but Maddox blocks their entry.
Maddox decides to close the Pickrick restaurant, choosing to shut down his business rather than cave to pressure from the government and local integrators.
Lester Maddox publicly announces the closure of the Pickrick restaurant, expressing his grief for the loss of the “Southern way of life.”
Quotations
Maddox later wiped tears as he closed his restaurant while he grieved for the loss of the “Southern way of life
Greene, Ronnie. Heart of Atlanta: Five Black Pastors and the Supreme Court Victory for Integration (pp. 120). Chicago Review Press. Kindle Edition.