NEWS BRIEFS: Share your Charleston story about restaurant integration

Staff reports  |  The Charleston County Public Library wants to hear stories about restaurant integration in the area.  Partnering with The Post and Courier newspaper, the library is seeking to document people’s earliest memories of dining in white-owned restaurants.

“Up until now, these important stories have gone undocumented, creating a major gap in how scholars and diners understand Southern restaurant culture,” food editor Hanna Raskin said in a news release.  “We hope this effort will help to restore facts, feelings and reflections to their rightful place in Charleston dining history.”

The library is hosting four recording sessions at three of its branches. At each session, participants will be interviewed individually and in private about their experiences with Charleston food service establishments before and after integration.

“Nothing will be published without the interviewee’s permission, and we can always pause or stop if they need a break,” said Raskin. “We appreciate that these stories are highly personal, and understand many people might not be inclined to share them.”

Anyone interested can attend one of the following sessions:

• April 1 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 68 Calhoun St., Charleston.
• April 2 from noon to 3 p.m. at the John’s Island Regional Library, 3531 Maybank Highway, John’s Island.
• April 3 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Hurd/St. Andrew’s Regional Library, 1735 N. Woodmere Dr., West Ashley.
• April 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Main Library.

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