Ralph Bunche was the US representative to the United Nations, a Noble Prize recipient and a black man. While at the UN in the late 1940's he had to meet "...foreign diplomats in the non-air conditioned basement cafeteria of the South Interior building, because other restaurants would not admit him". (Another example of the reality of a racially segregated society that existed during my life time).
(Source: "Memories form the front lines of the segregation battle in the District" by John Kelly of The Washington Post from 10/11/11).
Julius Rosenwald was the CEO of Sears Roebuck & Co in the early decades of the 20th century. He funded the construction of "more than 5300 schools in 15 states between 1913 and 1932" that were meant for African-American students. He worked with Booker T. Washington. Today in North Carolina 22 of these "Rosenwald Schools" are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and another 41 are up for consideration. Rosenwald's fund was combined with "county money and contributions from local black families" and in North Carolina 787 schools were built; the most of any state. I visited one of those schools in Coinjock, NC that is hoping for money to restore it. That school was in operation until 1950. (As we know, this was the time of "separate but equal" facilities-schools-for black and white citizens. The school in Coinjock does not compare with the elementary schools I attended in Cresskill, which is still in operation).
(Source: "Historic N.C. school gets second chance at life, new use" by Jeff Hampton of The Virginian Pilot on 10/11/11).
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