Posted on 06/10/2020 5:05:25 PM PDT by spintreebob
The owners of Buckhead's OK Cafe sparked an uproar with a banner that carried a message in opposition to recent Black Lives Matter protests.
Liberty House Restaurant Corporation operates OK Cafe, along with Blue Ridge Grill and Bones. Owners Susan DeRose and Richard Lewis hung the banner, which said "Lives That Matter Are Made With Positive Purpose," at OK Cafe so it would be on display during a protest march that passed by the restaurant over the weekend. OK Cafe also set up a refreshments table that offered tea and lemonade under a smaller "tea party" banner.
The display was met with outrage from those who support the protests, including former Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort.
While looting and property damage spilled out of some recent protests, OK Cafe did not sustain damage. However, DeRose said the restaurant has been inundated with negative reviews online and that she has received death threats since OK Cafe raised the banner. Rose explained the display in a telephone interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle, which has been edited for clarity and brevity.
What was the meaning of the Lives That Matter banner, and what was the thinking behind the decision to put it up? I haven’t seen a lot of people being killed and even hurt in these [protests] that are going on here, but who we absolutely know is being taken out is small businesses across the land. They’re being looted. They’re being burned. They’re being taken out. And the people that are wanting to matter are taking away the thing that they want to matter to: businesses. All that’s going to be left here is big business. You’re taking out all the communities all across this land.
When I saw [Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms] standing behind [Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike], a man who identifies himself as a killer, and the shirt said “Kill Your Master,” and he kept referring to the difference in classes, what the hell did that shirt mean. And then she takes the mic from him and she mentions often that she’s black with children, black-owned businesses. Well, we pay some big taxes over here, and by the way, like in most businesses, unless you’re just going to be black-owned, we have whites and blacks and Asians and Hispanics and gays and straits and Republicans and Democrats and libertarians, and people just don’t give a damn. We’re here to serve everybody, and we employ everybody.
The "Killer Mike" name came from the fact that his name is Michael and he "kills microphones" as a rapper. "Kill your masters" is from a song he did a few years ago. It's referencing slave owners and is metaphorical as well. Yeah, it's metaphorical for we had a march down our street like we're the masters. He gets to be called Killer Mike. I don't know why, but I'm not allowed to say positive purpose? The whistle call to me was "kill the master," and then a group of people marched down our street. I stood up for small business. Represent us. Take care of us. Protect us. That isn't happening.
But Keisha Lance Bottoms and Killer Mike, in that press conference, that's what they were doing. They were saying, "We understand the peaceful aspects of the protest," but they were asking people to stop the destruction. When I'm watching that and I hear, "I'm black. My children are black. These are black businesses." When Killer Mike is up there, and he's got a shirt that says "kill the master," a whole lot of people told me they thought that was a [dogwhistle]. Why can I not speak words of peace? Why is my life being threatened. Where is the respect for business?
Nobody else is standing up, so I decided I would. So, we support the police, and nobody supports somebody that doesn’t act like a policeman. We don’t want a thug in uniform, but we support people that support our law and order. And if my signs offended anybody, we need an education in this country.
We need these guys to stop this kind of stuff, because who they’re hurting is small business. And when we’re gone, there will only be Google, Amazon, big businesses to work for. So, I’m offended by Keisha Lance Bottoms’ statement, by Killer Mike’s statement, by people allowing to loot, by nobody on the news saying, "Oh my God, they’re taking the stores," because the stores aren’t just buildings. Those are people’s dreams, their livelihood.
The “tea party” meant taxation without representation, 1773. I don’t know about that other tea party thing in the ’80s. I meant this tea party. If we are paying big taxes, don’t you tell me these are black-owned businesses, and don’t do any whistle calling with somebody standing up there saying, take them down, and then the next thing I see is “black out Buckhead.” What in the hell does that mean? It doesn’t sound good to me.
So, just to clarify, the "tea party" sign was referencing the Boston Tea Party, and not the recent political movement? They also were talking about that. The Tea Party is the Tea Party. It's not a party of people. It's an event that changed America. It was about taxation without representation. What happens to the small businesses? Is insurance going to pay us? I'm seeing every big business company apologize — for what? What are they apologizing for? They're going to be all that's left.
We are not apologizing for being good. We don't need to make any apologies. We didn't do anything wrong. We have no white guilt. We have white pride. We just have pride in our country.
The people who are engaging in the protests say it’s a boiling over of deep-seated frustration and anger over what they would perceive to be societal, systemic racism. I’m a female, and I’m old enough to remember that 1964 when they passed the [Civil Rights Act] that for the first time in the history of the world, women were let in as equal, and I’m doing all right. And you know what I want to say? I love those men. And you know what I want to hear from everybody else? ‘I do too.’
Those of us that have been around long enough to know that we weren’t as bad as everybody said we were back then, but we’re a hell of a lot better off now. So, Black lives mattered for what? What do you want here? Be specific. Black Lives Matter for us having more blah, blah, blah. I don’t know what the rest of that sentence is. But that’s a bunch of BS, because I’m doing all right, and I’m the last one they wanted in. It was a last-minute thing to put women in, “you cannot discriminate against race, creed, color or sex.”
Here’s another thing. I’m a female, and I like to think of myself as strong, not a victim. You let me in and I showed you how I play. I’m doing all right. I’ve been in business 40 years. I’ve got a good reputation. I have served millions of people with integrity and honesty and fairness. I have employed hundreds of people who became part of my life and made a great life for me. I’m not a victim, and they need to get over this.
I understand the frustration with the looting and the destruction, but what about the peaceful elements? Do you have frustration with the entire movement? Yes, because it's insulting for me to see Black Lives Matter. What is it that Black Lives Matter wants, and why now? We're a black city. Atlanta, Georgia, is probably the most prosperous black town in the world, not just America. What was this about, other than if Black Lives Matter, and you can't say all lives matter, only you matter?
In the broad sense, people who are part of these protests feel that the "all lives matter" response has been to essentially say that there are not these problems with racism. What problems? We closed for fear because we know what this group is like. You've shown us. You walked by buildings that were burning — "Oh, that's not us. They're the bad people." They're the bad people that came with you, but you didn't stop your protests. You didn't go in to save those buildings, the livelihoods that went with them. The looting continued.
What is their argument? We have a completely back downtown administration. We have for 40 years. We had a president for eight years. If there was systemic racism, why weren't you mad at him? This is America? Why was I being threatened because I had a sign that said "positive purpose"?
My sign was about, positivity makes the world go 'round. It offended me that they would feel they would need to come down our street, because the message was, "We don't care about you." What spoiled children.
[Monday], we had the biggest day we've had at the OK Cafe since we had to close [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. People were coming up to me saying, "I drove a distance to get here, because I wanted you to know some people care."
With all the societal unrest going on, what kind of solutions would you like to see? I would like to see everybody take a breath, look around and go, "Holy moly, look at what we’ve got." I live in Buckhead. I’m looking out at a beautiful, beautiful garden which falls away behind me, where [Civil War] soldiers fought, 70,000 on that ridge. And look at where we are now, guys. So, you’ve got something to complain about, you complain too much.
That’s what I’d like to be said. What are you doing for the good? How are you helping this country. The way to that is to start being grateful. Let that be the cause. Look for gratitude. You’re looking right now for "who's done me wrong?" I want to look around and go, "Holy cow, I ended up here and how can I make it better, because I owe it." Where’s the shoutout to America?
My father, my step-father and my grandfather died in service to this country. I grew up without a man in my house, but my mother said that ‘you grew up with heroes. You owe this country a lot.’ She raised me as a single mom, and she said God blessed America, and I believe she was right. I don’t want to see anybody on their knees anywhere during the national anthem. That offends somebody like me that lost so much – or gave so much – to this country. I would like to know what my father even looked like. So you’ve got to take a knee somewhere? OK, find a park and y’all do it, but not in front of that flag, because the rest of us, we’ve got feelings too.
I’m your average Joe. This is what we’re all thinking, but people are too scared to speak. I don’t really care. I’ve been at this game a long time. I could retire if I want.
These particular protests were sparked by George Floyd’s death in Minnesota. What’s your reaction to seeing those sorts of things happening? My reaction is, we should be all rejoiced in that the entire world knew that man should not have his knee on that person’s head, but why would you take down businesses? Knock on your heads. There is no correlation between what you are doing and knowing that policeman should not do that. So, now I’m nervous about your way of thinking. There is no correlation in that.
Considering all the uproar, do you regret putting up the banner? Not at all. We were serving tea and lemonade and goodwill. I’m going to keep serving that till the day I die, because that’s how I made a living. We were saying, "Live a life of purpose." So, I don’t believe what they believe, and if they don’t like that, don’t come into my restaurant. That’s what capitalism is all about.
“I’m widin’ in my cah, tuwn on da wadio”
“Fi-yuh!”
Someone will torch the place I bet!
I have a GA FReeper ping list, but I don’t think too many are active. And we’re still pretty hunkered down Re: Covid.
That said, I *really* like the OK Cafe, they’re awesome. If you ever get there for breakfast, their deep-fried French toast is totally decadent.
GA FReeper ping.
Isn’t this the place that burned down a few years back? If yes the business owner paid all the employees while the business was being rebuilt.
That is the kind of business owner many wish they had when bad times hit.
God bless this man and his business.
If you happen to be near 75 going through mid-town show this business owner some love. They do have great food.
1284 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, US 30327-2306
We are OK Cafe & Bones regulars. Nice folks of all color work & eat there. We all get along, tip generously and deeply appreciate their hospitality and great food.
My OK Cafe favs:
BREAKFAST: TWO EGGS OVER EASY, HASH BROWNS, BACON + TOAST
LUNCH; BACON CHEDDAR CHEESE BURGER, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
DINNER: MEATLOAF, COLLARD GREENS, SWEET POTATO + CORN BREAD
Bones:
NY STRIP MED RARE, SPUD/BACON/BUTTER/ VEG D’JOUR
THIS IS WHAT WE LIKE ‘BOUT D’ SOUTH.. + SWEET TEA
SWEET TEA. +. TOOTIE R
BTTT
#9. We need to put this woman and the other partner on the “Endangered Patriots List” to protect them from communists, black extremists, Anarchists, and Democrat politicians.
A big “HOORAH” to them for standing up for America.
Ditto! It is a breakfast shop on steroids. Delightful, efficient wait staff and a full delicious plate of food.
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