In the late 50's, I have vivid memories of "colored" water fountains and restrooms in the county courthouse on the square in Talladega, AL. The blacks had to sit only in the balcony, accessed from a side entrance, of the town's only movie theater.
When I was a teenager in Talladega in the 60's, there was a great BBQ joint adjacent to the Talladega College campus. It was owned and operated by a black family. They had fabulous BBQ! Talladega College was, and still is, a predominantly black college. Remember, this was the time of bus boycotts, Bull Connor, Birmingham police dogs, "separate but equal" facilities for "colored", M.L. King Jr, non-violent protests, etc.
When we had a hankering for some good BBQ on a Friday or Saturday night, we'd invariably decide to go to Moon's. There was only one "small" problem. We were whites going to a black-owned BBQ joint. Heaven forbid if we actually had to go inside. We teenagers had a rather creative workaround, however. We would drive around to the back of the place where the employees would come out to our car, take the order, bring it to the car, and accept payment.
So...in a world where blacks were regularly treated as second-class citizens, the whites couldn't go into the front door of a black-owned establishment. In a crazy, mixed up way, the whites were subjected to reverse-discrimination and had to "go around back" to obtain service!
At the time, my Dad owned and operated a TV and washer repair shop at our house. Some of our best customers were blacks. We would go to their houses to service the appliances all the time. We would always treat them with respect and dignity. They treated us likewise.
I'm proud to say that my high school graduating class of '66 was the FIRST integrated class at Talladega High School. We had a single black male in our class.
Now, 40 years later, we have a black President of the United States, Barack Obama. My, how times have changed...for the BETTER I might add!
19 comments:
I remember Moon's VERY well from when I was a kid. We lived further out than Moon's, my dad ran the farm for the Alabama School for the Deaf & Blind. I remember the guys from Moon's coming out every year and cutting down one or two hickory trees and leaving themn there to season for the next year. When we wanted GOOD food we also went to Moon's. Due to the relationship my Dad had with Moon, we went in the back door and stood around the kitchen while the food was prepared. Yes it was a strange dynamic, white folks in the '60's going in the back door of a black restaurant to get food, but MAN IT WAS GOOD! I remember when they moved from the old building on one side of the road to the new block building on the other side, but the food was always terrific!!! We left Talladega in about 1967, but I've never forgotten Moon's and I hope I never do.....
Wow, Thanks for sharing. I grew up on Moon Street and knew the Moon Family. G. Vincent....I am researching my family roots and my family name is Vincent, like yours. Perhaps we can connect. You guys are the third family I have heard the story of Whites going to the back. The family that sold me a Storage Unit in 2013 were the first to say they were patrons who had to drive to the back - but loved the food. I think everyone has memories of Moon's Cafe. I don't recall it being located so close to the College since my reference point is about a mile away. Thanks for sharing. I am a writer myself and would love to "share" your story with my FB readers......who grew up in Talladega in the 60s as you say with separate water fountains, toilets, schools, movie seating (yes we were in the balcony and no we could not go to the Rec Center to learn to swim, lol) and lives. Blessings for a wonderful new year...yes we have come a very long way. My email is rvincentwilliams@gmail.com
Won't it be interesting if we find that we Vincents are related. I graduated Talladega High School after forced desegregation (and fighting) in 1972. Are you familiar with those days - those horrific times!
Such memories....I lived on the next block toward the college. As teens, we hung out across the street from the cafe. I remember working there for a brief moment....that weekend was all I could take...I dreamed of hamburgers chasing me off a cliff lol. It was the best bbq for miles. People from Atl and everwhere wanted this bbq. My mom was related to HT Moon and everybody was family. Our family had the first black-owned gasoline station just 2 doors up from Moons,Thomas Quality Service Station. I will say that it was a sight to see whites having to go to the back door to be served. And they showed a type of humility that you didn't see much among whites at that time. Well it was great going down memory lane. Moons BBQ...the best.
Darryl Thomas Sr.
I posted back in March 2014 about Moons BBQ and my memories of going there. Does anybody know when they closed down, or if they are still operating somewhere. It's been over 50 years since I tasted that good stuff, but my Mom and I were talking about it tonight (she's 84 now) and she remembers it so well too, as she was crazy about the sauce! I need to get back to Talladega one day, see if I can run down part of my childhood and find that good BBQ again.
I remember my cousins taking me with them to get BBQ at Moon's! That BBQ was so good I've thought about it all these 50yrs... never found better. And yes, we too had to drive round to the back door and wait in the car for our order. Was told that Moon had a huge bat under the counter that he didn't want to have to use keeping us from being killed should we dare entering thru the front. I thought it odd but only fair, seeings how badly black folks were treated there. I was one of the Yankee cousins visiting my father's HUGE Sexton family living there... seems like I was related to EVERY person in Talladega, one way or another! Sure have thought about that, so many times over the years...the incredible BBQ and backdoor orders... Nice to see I'm not alone in the fondness of that memory!
Lynn Sexton
sxtn102@yahoo.com
Henry. -& Mamie Moon worked with us at Fair Park Restaurant. Henry was the one who cooked the BBQ and the hot sauce. They were good friends
Thanks Clara, for sharing their names! They certainly left their mark on many thru their lives (and I'm sure in many more ways than their great cooking!).
Sorry Darryl, don't think you're gonna be able to recreate those moments.
It seems Henry T Moon Sr died in 1973 (abt 58yo), according to Find-A-Grave.
Mamie Moon went on to flourish til she passed in 2001 @ 81yo. (obit in Anniston Star)
Her obit says she owned/operated Moon's BBQ for 30yrs, so assuming she hung it up after Henry died in '73, that means it opened back in the early 1940's. I'm curious if and how their family was affected by maintaining their "mixed" clientele.
This thread's certainly been an interesting look into a volatile time when it seemed impossible hto share the experiences from both sides of our worlds!
Lynn Sexton
I was a student at Talladega College from 1962-66 and on weekends bought bar b que sandwiches at Moon's for fifty cents a piece.They were delicious and the sauce was as good as you could get. I can close my eyes and see Mr. Henry Moon cooking and wrapping sandwiches/slabs of ribs along with his son. They also had a juke box and constantly played Percy Sledge and the Alabama Blind Boys (Clarence Carter)
Don't forget the red clay dirt.
L Hollins
H.T. Moon was my grandfather and I'm currently working on opening Moon's back up.
I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I'm the grandson for H.T. Moon and Mamie Moon. I have the recipe and currently remodeling my building so we can get up and running again. The first location will be in Tallassee, Alabama. Once I make a business page I will update everyone. Thank you all for remembering my family.
Young cousins , I hope that you can do it. It would restore some glorious history to Talladega!
Mike Simmons
I worked for Wehadkee Yarn Mills in the early 70s. Got bbq from Moon's weekly. I have had bbq all over the country but Moon's half n half
Inside and outside meat was the best ever RIP Mr Moon.
It’s amazing reading all the stories about Moons BBQ. I’m a cousin from Sylacauga. I meet Larry Moon over 20 years ago in Anniston and we talked about the family business. I will be retiring from my job very soon and be smoking those bones just like William Moon taught me. God is good!!!
Hello do you remember the Dye’s just down the street up the hill?? Anyway my brother and I are trying to find out who owns the bldg, we want to start up a bbq joint in the exact same bldg, and I’m Oggie’s daughter Debbie Dye
You must have run into my dad (Smiley Williamson) at some point because my dad described it exactly like you did. They couldn't go inside because they were white. He said they would order a bag of sandwiches and sit at a picnic table out back or just sit in the car. Up until he passed, he said it was the best bbq ever.
Have you thought about bottling and selling it? My cousins started a successful BBQ business in Sylacauga in '88 and moved to ATL area in '90. still going strong. They have a large bottling facility. They might could give you some advice or pointers. They grew up hearing about Moon's BBQ also.
I grew up in Talladega during the 1950's/1960's and made regular visits to Moon's BBQ. If I remember correctly, it was on the left just as you drove through the Talladega College campus. Nothing fancy but gread BBQ pork. Does anybody know if it is still in business and/or plans to open/reopen? The real deal is hard to find these days. By the way, my go to BBQ sauce is Williamson Brothers started in Marietta, Georgia but roots in Talladega, small world. John Cork
To John Cork---------- Back in 2022, Moon's Grandson wrote^^^: I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I'm the grandson for H.T. Moon and Mamie Moon. I have the recipe and currently remodeling my building so we can get up and running again. The first location will be in Tallassee, Alabama. Once I make a business page I will update everyone. Thank you all for remembering my family.----------- His FB page reflects that he did indeed open in Tallassee, made a pretty good go of it, then shut down on Apr 20, 2024. Don't know why, maybe just did what he needed to do and then was done. I didn't know about it until now, but live clear across the country so wouldn't have gotten a reminiscent taste anyway. Just FYI in response to your recent post.
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