Responses to the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The second article explains the reaction of restaurant owner John Vonetes.  Vonetes stated that "he would not admit Negroes until he obtained legal advice".  African American David Gunter was refused admission on Friday night. Gunter was a Virginia State College official who led a month-long boycott against segregated businesses.  In Hopewell two drug stores closed their soda fountains rather than desegregate.  

Nineteen Days after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law four African American Youth integrated a white swimming pool.  The pool was closed for three days for cleaning.  Vice-Mayor Sam Patterson served as acting mayor while Mayor Wyatt W. Wall was on vacation.  The pools were to remain open as long as segregation was maintained.  If any integration attempts were made again, the police had orders to shut down all city pools until the City Council could develop a policy on the issue.

"Under the law, Patterson said, the city cannot stop Negroes from entering the pool.  He indicated, however, that the city is under no obligation to maintain public swimming facilities."

"Two Negro girls showed up at the white pool off Hodges Street about 1:30 pm, Tuesday, and pool lifeguards, acting on orders, immediately began draining the pool and later locked the gates."

"Bystanders at the white pool Tuesday heard a white youth ask the two teen-age Negro girls if they didn't know that both pools would be closed if they used the white pool facilities.

"They were heard to reply: 'We don't give a [illegible] we're going swimming anyway.'"

50 African American Males attended a dance in Medford on Tuesday night. The young men attended the dance with out female companions and stood in a stag-line without incident.  The trouble began when one of the young men tried to cut in on a white couple.  "Immediately, fists began to fly and the dance turned into a nightmare of battling boys."  There were 1,200 white youth at the dance and several hundred of them were involved in the fight.  12 teenagers suffered minor injuries and Joseph W. Sacco was hospitalized for his injuries.