A Ghanaian minister and his secretary walked into a Howard Johnson restaurant in Dover, Del., ordered orange juice—and were told to drink it outside because "colored people are not allowed to eat in here." That was four years ago. Since then, one African diplomat has been turned away from a Virginia drive-in theater. Another, with his daughter, was stopped at the gate of a Maryland amusement park. Last month, Dr. William Fitzjohn, charge d'affaires of newly emerging Sierra Leone, was snubbed out of another Howard Johnson restaurant, this one in Hagerstown, Md. In recent weeks, according to U.S. State Department reports, diplomatic staffers from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroun and Ethiopia have suffered indignities of various sorts because of the color of their skin.
With 22 new African nations sending their diplomatic representatives to the U.S., the problem of discrimination has become one of intense Administration concern. It centers in Washington, itself 54% Negro, and its Virginia and Maryland environs. Schooling is not too bad: the State Department lists 15 good private schools where Afro-Asian diplomats can send their children. Housing, says a State Department aide, is "most embarrassing": according to one study, about 90% of Washington's property owners refuse to sell or lease living quarters to "people of color." Washington restaurants, required by law to serve anyone, often harass Negroes by giving them back-corner tables or making them wait when there is obvious available space. Private clubs are out, and so are most of the Virginia and Maryland beaches.
Seeking solutions, White House officials have held several meetings to discuss the problem. And the State Department's protocol division has set up a new "special projects" section, which works with the Washington Real Estate Board in helping Africans secure housing, also provides them with tips on friendly stores, restaurants, barbershops, etc. Dark-skinned diplomats who plan trips outside Washington are advised of courteous hotels and eating places along their route. One diplomat, visiting Florida last week, put in a distress call to the Special Projects Section, promptly found his restaurant problems solved and an invitation awaiting him from the local university president. President Kennedy is appealing to state Governors for their advice and cooperation on the issue, has also called for a list of all incidents involving African diplomats.
There have been some encouraging results: the Nigerian ambassador has finally found a suitable embassy; the ambassador of Mali, previously frustrated in his attempt, can now establish a chancery in a selected residential zone. But the struggle continues. Says one State Department official: "Our job is to assure that foreign policy is carried out by the President and State Department and not impaired by the actions of a barber on Connecticut Avenue or a restaurant owner in Maryland."