Historic African American Tea Rooms

Tea rooms were respites from discrimination and served as centers of society and culture.

Blogger Jan Whitaker delves into the little known history of African  American Tea Rooms. Run by business women and men, they were run to  cater to Blacks who were segregated by institutionalized Jim Crow laws and/or  racial discrimination –in areas where Jim Crow wasn’t “officially”  enacted. She highlights such tea rooms as the Blue Lantern Inn and  Marguerite Tea Room. 

References:

• Restaurant-in Through History – https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2011/02/13/african-american-tea-rooms/
• African American Tea Rooms in NYC – https://www.arkrepublic.com/2020/06/19/4-black-owned-coffee-and-tea-houses-in-nyc-to-support-this-juneteenth/