The Races: Etched in Stone
Macon, smack in the middle of Georgia, has long been a railroad city. The old train depot downtown, finished just in time for the farewells and homecomings of World War I doughboys, is defunct but still grand. The Georgia Power Co. plans to spend $3 million making its interior a trendy warren of shops and offices. The neoclassical façade is to remain unchanged—almost. Georgia Power wants to cover up the anachronistic inscription—COLORED WAITING ROOM—engraved over one entranceway. Says a company spokesman: "We don't want to offend any of our black customers."
Some of Macon's blacks, however, want to preserve the sign as a reminder of their past struggle. "It's not offensive," says State Representative Billy Randall, who was obliged to use the Jim Crow waiting room as recently as 1962.
"It's a part of history." Adds the Rev. Henry Ficklin, a black city councilman: "I think it would be a greater slap in the face to think that blacks were so ignorant they couldn't accept history."
Most Popular »
- Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
- The H1N1 Pandemic: Is a Second Wave Possible?
- Facebook's Secret Code
- Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.
- Tiger Gets Mulligan from the TV Networks
- Europe vs. Google: The Next Chapter
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The Troubles at Kroger: Frugal Consumers
- Health Reform: The Pros and Cons of Expanding Medicare
- Protests Mount Against Israel's Settlement Freeze
- Health Reform: The Pros and Cons of Expanding Medicare
- Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.
- The Job Market: Is a College Degree Worth Less?
- GM's New Leaders: Ambitious For Change
- The Troubles at Kroger: Frugal Consumers
- Europe vs. Google: The Next Chapter
- Facebook's Secret Code
- The H1N1 Pandemic: Is a Second Wave Possible?
- Remarks of President Barack Obama: Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize
- Protests Mount Against Israel's Settlement Freeze
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
RSS