Posted on 10/28/2007 5:09:08 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
COLUMBIA, S.C. --Outspoken barbecue baron Maurice Bessinger - known as much for his support of the Confederate flag as his food- is providing some variety for his customers, but this change has nothing to do with his famous mustard-based sauce.
At about half of his dozen restaurants, Bessinger has replaced the better-known Confederate battle flag with its red background, blue cross and white stars with the less recognized and perhaps less controversial first flag of the Confederacy - a banner with two red stripes, a white stripe and a blue square with a circle of white stars.
The new flag, which resembles the U.S. flag, better honors his ancestors who fought for the South in the Civil War, Bessinger said. The Confederate battle flag will remain at the other restaurants, he said.
But anyone who thinks the change in banners shows the self-proclaimed "Barbecue King" has softened his views on the flag or race - Bessinger refused to serve blacks at his restaurant until 1976 when the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in - better think again.
"I'm not backing down from nothing. I'm still flying the Confederate flag," Bessinger said. "I've come to realize that I should fly the flag of my ancestors, which is the first national flag. That was the soldiers' flag."
A state NAACP leader suggests Bessinger has changed flags because he is losing customers, but a Confederate group said it is just as likely people's opinions of Bessinger were set back in 2000, when he first raised the more famous Confederate battle flag over his restaurants to protest the state Legislature's decision to take that flag down from atop the Statehouse dome.
"The ones who are against him - Maurice could stand on his head in the parking lot and it wouldn't attract them to come in because they're making a political statement," said Don Gordon, spokesman for the South Carolina division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
The change in flags hasn't changed the mind of Lonnie Randolph, president of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"Whether, it's the first national or the last national flag, that does not change history, and the intent, and purpose that that group stood for - which was to overthrow the government of America - doesn't change with the garment that they hang off their pole," he said.
Bessinger has never avoided controversy. He helped the presidential campaign of the former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who in the 1960s pledged to back segregation. Bessinger himself ran for governor of South Carolina as a Democrat in 1974, riding through towns across the state on a white steed and wearing his famous white suit. He finished fifth out of seven candidates.
Bessinger's decision to hoist the Confederate flag at his restaurants in 2000 led to stories about pamphlets still available at his restaurants which said Africans were grateful for slavery because they were better off in the United States than in Africa.
The publicity led several large grocery store chains to remove Bessinger's sauce from their shelves. Bessinger unsuccessfully sued, and the golden, mustard-based sauce can now only be bought at smaller retailers, Bessinger's restaurants and online.
"I'm never going to get back in the grocery stores. It's a done deal. The NAACP is going to see to that," Bessinger said. "Standing up for my heritage cost my $50 million and I'm proud of the fact that I stood up for it."
I’ve eaten at his restaurant in Columbia, SC a few times on my way to VA.
About a third of the folks in there were black.
They have good chow, the NAACP doesn’t.
I’ve been in Maurice’s restaurants and there are paintings from the war of northern aggression and I doubt those will be taken down. If it was all about profit they would have changed their stripes years ago when their barbecue sauce was removed from supermarket shelves because of their views.
"Bessinger refused to serve blacks at his restaurant until 1976 when the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in..."
I assume you ate their sometime after 1976.
If it was all about the rebellion why change now?
heritage gives way to profit
Not in this case, IMO he showing more Southern Heritage by exposing customers to different and still accurate flags of the CSA.
It isn’t about the rebellion. It’s about catering to a specific clientelle.
"Forget Hell!"
ping
Unfortunately, your peers lied here. The group wasn't trying to overthrow the government, they were trying to secede from it.
Apparently, Maurice does not do to well in the Court Room.
The USSC forced him to serve African Americans in 1976 and more recently a court would not let Maurice force grocery retailers to sell his sauce.
Must have been some activist judges!
Better luck next time.
Mr. Randolph must be getting the Confederacy confused with the Black Panthers... I believe the CSA intended to break away from the USA not overthrow it.
which was to overthrow the government of America: This is a lie, the Confederate States were never in it to “overthrow the Government in Washington”: MR NAACP better go back and reread his history!..
The people of SC could have cared less what happened in the rest of the USA if the war had been won by the Confederacy!
The CSA on the otherhand was wrongly invaded!
And it's everybody's fault but his.
Some of the best BBQ I have experienced were made in black establishments.
For my money though, KC BBQ, with the dry rub is the best eating in the world.
But they didn't win, did they? That's the problem with starting a war, they don't always turn out the way you had planned.
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