When did the Hays-Adams first rent rooms to African-Americans?

[hedgehog]

News people keep referring to the "exclusive" Hays-Adams. I believe that the Hays-Adams now caters to anyone who has the money, which doesn't meet my definition of exclusivity. I also suspect that when Obama was a child, he would have been refused a room because of the color of his skin. After all, the Hays-Adams was a prestigious hotel in a a Southern city. Just another reminder of how far we've come.

[ellacott]

1. In this instance I don't think the use of exclusive is meant to describe race

I think they used it to describe class.

[Captain Hilts]

6. No, it's about being even more expensive than the Willard, and certainly more than the Mayflower...

where the Roosevelts stayed and racked up the biggest bill the hotel had ever seen.

[hedgehog]

15. I'm certain that "exclusive" doesn't refer to race these days. I'm not sure

if anything beyond money is involved in renting a room at the Hayes Adams. My guess is that the only places that really are "exclusive" these days are certain private clubs and hot night spots.

[S_E_Fudd]

2. I don't know but...

It was named after John Hay and Henry Adams...slavery opponents....

So maybe wasn't as restrictive...

I don't know though

[Dennis Donovan]

3. I don't think Washington, DC has ever considered itself a "Southern" city...

...although, frankly, I don't know much about its history in regards to African-Americans and segregation. I believe that much of it was initially built by slaves in the late 1700's.

[WI_DEM]

5. the slave trade was prohibited in DC in 1850 and slavery as a whole prohibited in 1862

[Captain Hilts]

8. It most certainly was - and considered itself to be a southern city. Everything...

was segregated. That started to break down under FDR/Eleanor/Harold Ickes, but not quickly enough.

When the new Dept. of Interior building was opened - the first designed for air conditioning - an Interior Dept. official asked Ickes what he was going to do about black employees using the cafeteria and he replied, "not a damned thing."

The Pentagon was designed for 'white' and 'black' bathrooms. That's why it has more than most buildings its size, though it is in VA.

The National Theatre didn't let blacks in throughout WWII. Spencer Tracy had a fit, as only he could, when he was in a play there in 1946 and he found out a performance for wounded vets was being segregated.

And into the 60s and 70s blacks did the 'paper bag' form of segregation.

[On the Road]

9. Have Never Heard of Paper Bag Segregation

Does that mean discriminating against anyone whose skin is darker than a brown paper lunch bag?

[Captain Hilts]

10. Yep.

[Dennis Donovan]

11. Now, see... I didn't know that.

I learn a lot from you, Mookie!:hi:

[Captain Hilts]

12. Oh, to be in Massachusetts right now.....

Cheers DD!

DC's a weird place with weird history. As a Navy kid that moved around a lot, I've been dropped into a lot of weird places...and I wish I lived in MA!

[Rhiannon12866]

20. How's your weather in Massachusetts?

Heard you're getting a lot of storms... It was crappy here this am and is supposed to be bad again starting on Wednesday... :scared:

And what kind of seafood is your favorite? I spent a lot of time in Boston, a terrific city, lots of history. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time there in the hospital, so didn't get to see all that much. I always hoped to go back... :-(

[Dennis Donovan]

22. Cold...

...and I prefer the heads of fish - eat them up, Yum!


:rofl:

[Rhiannon12866]

24. Not surprising. I went to school in Western Massachusetts and I remember that it was so cold

that I often thought I'd freeze to death before I made it inside. It was actually painful. x(

As for the fish heads, what are you, a seal? Eeeeek! My father used to order fish that looked like this when we went out. Trout. And he'd stick the head in front of me to make me scream. I have a bit of a fish phobia... :scared:

I prefer my fish like this. Try it, you'll like it... ;)

[SoCalDem]

21. The White House special that C-span ran last week had a jaw-dropper video clip

during the Truman segment.. showed the doorman/butler, and the voice over commentary.?? "...That "darkie" in the uniform there at the door , is <said his name>, ...etc..."

I about choked on my coffee..:(

[hedgehog]

16. "Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm."

-- John F. Kennedy


Actually, the Compromise of 1790 involved locating the Capital in the South in return for other concessions.

[jberryhill]

17. Ah that's easy....

I'm from the North, but my father was from the South, and introduced me to a lot of food that I enjoy.

When the salad bar has collard greens and okra, and when grits comes with your eggs, you are in a southern city.

I have noticed both of these things in DC, to my delight.

[WI_DEM]

4. I'm sure it is an exclusive (meaning expensive) hotel as many hotels are.

[cali]

7. I can remember staying at the Hay as a kid in the mid-sixties

but I don't recall if it was segregated. I rather doubt it though. And the Hay like many other exclusive hotels isn't exclusive simply because it's expensive. It's relatively small and it's all about excellent service.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Obama will change our country for the better more than we will ever know now - I actually

made a reservation there for breakfast on Jan 20th - months ago - thinking I might
see someone famous. Little did I know his whole family would be there. Unfortunately, I read
that there was a prayer meeting elsewhere that day at 9am - just when we have our reservation.

I have stayed there before. It was very nice - but a wee bit on the shabby side. Location
is hard to beat though. They actually check out guests before you arrive - even on a regular day. Of course, that was before I probably got on some bush hater list.

[hedgehog]

14. "They " being the Secret Service?

[hedgehog]

18. I did find this general account:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/24/growing-up-segregated/

[onenote]

19. Hotels in DC were desegregated before Obama was born

The schools in DC weren't desegregated until 1954. But the year before that, in DC v. John Thompson Co, the SCOTUS found that anti-discrimination laws passed following the civil war were still enforceable against restaurants, hotels, etc.

So, by 1961, when Obama was born, he almost certainly could've gotten a room at the Hay-Adams -- assuming, of course, he/his family could afford it.

Being expensive may not meet your definition of exclusivity, but it is without question what is being referred to when people characterize the Hay Adams as "exclusive."

[rvablue]

23. Your post is curious and interesting, but Washington, D.C. = "southern city"???

[leftofthedial]

25. Yesterday.