For most of us, the idea that we could be turned away from a restaurant as soon as we stepped inside is inconceivable. Imagine taking a road trip knowing you were barred from most dining spots along the way and the consequences of trying to eat in public might be even worse than being refused a seat.
This was a reality for Black Americans following the Civil War and during the Jim Crow era, and these practices continued for about a hundred years. Even after the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, some defiant restaurant owners refused to comply with laws forbidding segregation.