June 1960- I was the first of Doc and Lenora's nephews to go back to Bethesda Maryland and stay with them and work at the Hot Shoppes which was part of the Marriott Corporation.
I went through the waiter school and started at a Hot Shoppe in noortheastern Virgnia.Doc had an extra car he let me borow.
I drove it each night 20 miles southeast of Washington D.C. to The Shirlington Shopping Center, I lasted one week.
By way of explanation let me explain a few things. My Father was Norman S Hoyal, a very great man. He raised me in a respectable manner. He had played Football at Pasadena Jr. College. He played with Jackie Robinson and becasme friends with him. He walked to class with him. Sat on the bus with him, even invited him home to dinner. That was at Grandma and grandpa Hoyal's home, ( LE and Lenora.) .Jackie said that was the 1"st white man's home he had been invited to.
Well, dad raised me differently. He never used the N word for blacks. I was never allowed to either. When I played on the Varsity at Colton High as a sophmore I sometimes would hang out with Johnny Lwis , one of the halfbacks. I sat with him at the movies. Basically I had no problems with blacks.
Back now to June ,1960. The Civil Rights movement had started in Feb of 1960. In the spring blacks had started going into restaurants and sitting. I hadn't paid much attention. As I started working at the Hot Shoppe, on Monday night 2 blacks came in and sat down. The hostesses ignored them. The other servers did also. I thought they should be waited on so I di. I gave them their check. They left a tip and paid their check. They came inTuesday night, They were ignored ,I waited on them again. On wedesnday night they came in. I did it again. Other servers told me they wouldn't do that and I shouldn't. They said I didn't understand where I was. I said I am in Northeastern Virginia.
Thursday night came, ny last night at this HotShoppe. The 2 backs came in and sat .They were again ignored by everyone.
So I Thought about it and waited on them again.,
At 1:00 AM, the restaurant closed. Everyone( manager, asst. manager, hostesses, and servers ) headed downstairs to tthe
Employees dining room. I asked if there was a meeting. They said no and told me to leave.
The black cooks were in the kitchen cleaning and washing the dishes. They had been friendly to me and treated me well.
I went out the back door.
25-30 pick up trucks were in a semi circle ,their lights shinning on the door. 30-40 men were in a crowd waiting for me.
The leader was leaning against the restaurant wall by the door waiting for me. He was a little runt about 5'5". He reached up and grabbed me around the throat. He said, " you n_---- lover we're gonna fix you." I knocked his arm away and I said" You can try." In hitting his arm, He lost his balance and fell down He jumped up and said," dont you sass me boy."
Another one said , " we're going to teach you manners with a rope " a bunch of grabbed me They started taking me to the back of a truck. I was terrified. I thought I was in real trouble. Then I heard the sirens. 6-7 police cars each with 4 or 5 policemen in ech car. There was a struggle. The policeman fought with the mob. 4 officers got hold of Me. "where is your car
They tookme to the car and I got in. They told me to get on the freeway and get out of here and dont come back. The policemen stayed and didn't let the mob leave. I left northeastern Virginia and took of and got back to Bethesda. This is one
of three times in my life I have been really scared.
I diidn't talk about this to Doc and Lenora. It was many years before I could talk about it. Hot Shoppes said nothing to me about it.I was told to tansfer to # 20 in Rockville,Maryland. It was 20 or so miles nort of Bethesda. I spent the rest of the summer there hopping curb. The next summer when I came back and went through the waiter schhol They simply said they would serve blacks. Hot Shoppes never ever said a thing to me about it. That summer I hopped curb at #5 on Connecticutt
ave.
Well, That is my run in with the KU Klux Klan. Chris thought I should put it on the website. I dont know who called the police for me unless it was one of the black cooks.
It is a true story.
HN Hoyal
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