Royal Ice Cream (Durham, NC)

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Earth: United States: North Carolina: : Royal Ice Cream

Overview
The Royal Ice Cream store in Durham, NC, often referred to as the "Royal Ice Cream Bar" or "Royal Ice Cream Parlor", was the site of a civil rights protest on June 23, 1957 when six young African-Americans used the "whites only" entrance and sought table service in the "whites only" section", in violation of the segregation laws then in effect. The store was located in an all-black neighborhood at the time of the protest.

At some point, Royal Ice Cream closed and the building was taken over by Charles Dunham's Food Service (aka "Charlie Dunham's").

The building was purchased in 2004 and demolished in October 2006 by Union Baptist Church, which plans to build a school on the site.

Pictures

 * The Royal Ice Cream strikers pray before going to court: photo, with 2003 quote from protester Virginia Williams
 * photo also appears in Durham's Civil Rights Heritage Remembered - for eventual article on Durham, NC civil rights history
 * 2007-06-23

News & Blogs

 * 2007-08-19 Durham's Royal Ice Cream sit-in featured on The Story: includes link to MP3 of interview with protester Virginia Williams
 * 2007-06-23
 * Sit-in made civil rights history by Jim Wise: "The incident at a Durham ice cream parlor was one of the South's first but gets scant attention in accounts of the era". Gives many significant details about this particular incident.
 * Quick Update: Maps and Royal Ice Cream comments on the N&O story
 * Locals say Durham civil rights history overlooked
 * 2006-08-09 Royal Ice Cream / Charlie Dunham's: refers to the church as "Union Missionary Baptist Church"; this appears to be in error

Other Documents

 * 2002-04-06 library catalog entry for recording of interview with protester Virginia Williams