NAT KING COLE REFUSED SERVICE

In April 1948, Radio City Theater hosted Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, June Christy, and the King Cole Trio.  On April 24, 1948, Cole was refused admittance to the Carnival Club.  He and his new wife had been invited there by an advertising man, and although the host was waiting for them and the crowd waiting for seats parted automatically as Cole and his wife approached the rope, the maitre d’ told Cole there was no room and used a racial slur.  The next morning Cole sent a telegram to the club manager requesting an explanation.

 

On Monday afternoon, Ted Cook, the manager of the cafe, along with a “prominent local worker in the field of human relations,” went to Radio City to apologize personally to the Coles and to tell them in no uncertain terms that the club did not practice race discrimination and that the refusal was a mistake.  Cole graciously accepted the apology and accepted Cook’s invitation to be his guest at the club Monday night.  The Spokesman reported that Cook would hold a roll-call of employees that afternoon to explain that the Club Carnival would not tolerate discrimination on the part of any of its employees.  Cole told the paper that he felt it was the duty of prominent Negro performers as well as all others to combat violations of civil rights wherever and whenever found.  (Minneapolis Spokesman, April 30, 1948)