David Mason, Jr. - On why the sit-in happened (clip)
Interviewed by Matthew Miller on December 1, 2008
Matthew Miller: So you were allowed to go there, but you weren’t allowed to sit at the counter?
David Mason, Jr.: Absolutely! Absolutely.
MM: Okay.
DM: Yeah, yeah. That’s exactly right. So that was the most logical place.
MM: Yeah.
DM: ‘Cause that’s where we all put our money, and, so that was thirteen of us. And I think two—myself, and maybe one other fellow from Saint Joe’s Church—we were the first to stage a sit in in Chapel Hill, which occurred at Big John’s. And—
MM: Is that when they had the fire hoses?
DM: Yeah.
MM: Wasn’t Pat Jackson there too?
DM: Well, she may have come along then, but—
MM: Later, okay.
DM: Yeah. But these were all, all guys.
MM: ‘Cause she was younger though, probably.
DM: Oh, yeah, gee whiz. She was much younger. Matter of fact, Pat has to be at least eight years younger than I am. I don’t remember Pat.
MM: But you guys were in the first—the first group that did it?
DM: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
