For decades the original Paschals was a popular hub for food and conferences marketed to Black people as segregation limited their choices. As these barriers were removed via the hard work of the political and civil rights leaders the Paschal brand was leveraged into the construction of a top notch motel facility with a conference area and a restaurant that served world renowned fried chicken and soul food.
In the original Paschals restaurant across the street Dr King and his lieutenants who were engaged in the civil rights struggle met for breakfast and dinner to plot their strategy.
While the Paschal name remains marque will regarded in metro-Atlanta this building which housed the lodge and post-Civil Rights location of the restaurant is now closed. The privately held company chose to construct a new facility about a mile away on Northside Drive. It is constructed in line with the present demand for cosmopolitan dining that middle class Blacks now demand.
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| This is the balcony upon which various Civil Rights Pharisees stood upon and fired verbal shots as they saw the property development arm of the Clark Atlanta University threatening to tear down the building in order to build a brand new dormitory facility for Black students who are receiving education so they might one day become leaders of our community. |
They were able to derail the demolition and construction plans with the promise that THE FACILITY WOULD BE REDEVELOPED as they lined up corporate and government funds with the help of the city leaders and Rep John Lewis in the Federal Government.
They worked out a scheme by which "The Busy Bee" restaurant, a restaurant a few doors down would relocate their operation into the Paschal Restaurant that had closed due to insolvency.
They got the Black rank & file behind this defensive move by making the case:
- It is up to the Black community to protect our important Black Community landmarks from the wrecking ball....
just as the White folksdo just as they do in Buckhead - This is an important symbol of the Civil Rights Movement that functioned as Dr Kings conference room where all of the important planning was done. (In truth this was done across the street in the original building that was demolished)
- BUT FOR the fact that it was CAU and not some corporation that was plotting on the land - they were not able to make the case that the Black community was under attack from corporations seeking to steal our land right from under us as we failed to pay attention.
- By moving the "Busy Bee Cafe" to the location - they would expand their operation and CREATE JOBS
- The redevelopment of the "Paschals Center" would be the "anchor tenant" for massive redevelopment along this strip of MLK
- A new supermarket and top notch apartments/condos was in the works
- (To my own disappointment the Publix Supermarket was shuddered in December 2009. Wal-Mart has agreed to build a new location in that same stop)
This Is The Presence State Of Paschals - As The Civil Rights Pharisees WON But The Black Community Along This Strip Of MLK Blvd LOST In The Long Run
No one got FIRED after leading the Black Community along sufficiently enough to spare the building but failed to ultimately deliver upon their promises.
In so many ways this is a microcosm of the big picture relationship between the Black Racial Services Machine and the "Black Rank & File" who they see as their foot soldiers are are conditioned to march but not ask questions of the demand - least the ENEMY win.
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If The Black Community Were To Ever Start Asking The Black Racial Services Machine and The Civil Rights Pharisees: "WHERE ARE THE JOBS?" they would not retain their offices.
Instead these forces are permitted by the Black Rank & File to LEAD THE PROTEST MARCHES to make indictments against OTHERS to demand JOBS and HEALTH CARE and "Social Justice".
People fail to see that the occupants of the same seats of power prior to these "Favorable People" were worthy of being expected to provide these services. Today it appears that the present occupant is too inferior to handle such an expectation placed upon his back. The crowd chooses to go off and find a more worthy entity to make such demands upon.
Is there any chance that they will ever find salvation and satisfaction in doing so?
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ABC News: Civil Rights Kitchen Faces The Wrecking Ball
From The Cheshire Foxes on the DemocraticUnderground: Civil Rights Landmark To Be Demolished ~ Bush Economy At Work
The restaurant that served as unofficial headquarters of the civil rights movement will be demolished to make way for a college dormitory, officials said.Within The Black Community Blog looks at the PATTERN of Civil Rights Pharisees holding onto the past while showing incompetence at deploying the Black Equal Human Beings to held build up a local economy which would preserve these buildings because of the massive economic activity that takes place inside of them: More Memories Than Money On Hand
The decision to raze Paschal's restaurant was based on finances, said its owner, Clark Atlanta University. The eatery is losing $500,000 a year, an amount that the university cannot afford to cover. Clark Atlanta itself faces a $7.5 million operating deficit.
Some Paschal's supporters continued to insist that the restaurant be preserved.
"It is a very, very important piece of Americana, particularly black Americana," state Rep. Tyrone Brooks said. "We can always find land for dorms. Paschal's is too valuable, too significant to have a bulldozer come and knock it down."A university official said:
"People have tried to make it look like we don't care about civil rights," he said. "But the civil rights movement, above everything else, was about educating young men and women of color. Dr. King understood how important education was."
Damn - if we just paid more attention to Booker T Washington and produced more brick masons, electricians and skilled carpenters - the Paschal Motor Lodge would be open now with a fresh coat of paint.
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