Emanuel J. Evans
Encyclopedia
Emanuel J. "Mutt" Evans was an American businessman and the first Jewish
mayor
of Durham
, North Carolina
. He served a record six terms from 1951-1963.
on May 2, 1907. The son of Isaac Evans and Sarah (Newmark) Evans and brother of Monroe E. Evans. Evans moved to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, where he met Sara Nachamson, a student at nearby Duke University
and daughter of retailers Eli and Jenny Nachamson, who owned the United Dollar Stores Company. Evans and Nachamson married on June 19, 1928, in Durham, where they settled, taking over the day to day business of United Dollar Stores.
, the company, now Evans' United Department Stores, became the first business on Durham's Main Street to contain restrooms for African Americans, and was the site of the only integrated
lunch counter
in Durham. At some point in the early 1950s, Durham County
Judge 'Bus' Borland ordered Evans to build a wall to separate
white customers from African-American customers, in order to comply with North Carolina legal statutes
. Evans responded by telling the Judge that, "you'll have to close the store, if you want me to do that," before his lawyer pointed out that the specific statutes only applied to seated lunch counters. Evans removed the seats from the counter and raised the countertop to elbow height.
became Durham's first Jewish mayor in an historic election that also saw women elected to the city council for the first time, Kathrine Robinson Everett and Mary Duke Biddle Trent. During his record six terms as mayor, serving until 1963, Evans oversaw the desegregation of Durham's schools, public agencies and Police and Fire Departments.
.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He served a record six terms from 1951-1963.
Early life
Evans was born in Plainfield, New JerseyPlainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
on May 2, 1907. The son of Isaac Evans and Sarah (Newmark) Evans and brother of Monroe E. Evans. Evans moved to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where he met Sara Nachamson, a student at nearby Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and daughter of retailers Eli and Jenny Nachamson, who owned the United Dollar Stores Company. Evans and Nachamson married on June 19, 1928, in Durham, where they settled, taking over the day to day business of United Dollar Stores.
Race relations
Shortly after the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company, now Evans' United Department Stores, became the first business on Durham's Main Street to contain restrooms for African Americans, and was the site of the only integrated
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
lunch counter
Lunch counter
A lunch counter is a small restaurant, much like a diner, where the patron sits on a stool on one side of the counter and the server or person preparing the food serves from the other side of the counter, where the kitchen or limited food preparation area is. As the name suggests, they were most...
in Durham. At some point in the early 1950s, Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
Judge 'Bus' Borland ordered Evans to build a wall to separate
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
white customers from African-American customers, in order to comply with North Carolina legal statutes
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
. Evans responded by telling the Judge that, "you'll have to close the store, if you want me to do that," before his lawyer pointed out that the specific statutes only applied to seated lunch counters. Evans removed the seats from the counter and raised the countertop to elbow height.
Mayoral accomplishments
In 1951, Evans, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
became Durham's first Jewish mayor in an historic election that also saw women elected to the city council for the first time, Kathrine Robinson Everett and Mary Duke Biddle Trent. During his record six terms as mayor, serving until 1963, Evans oversaw the desegregation of Durham's schools, public agencies and Police and Fire Departments.
Selling the stores
In 1961, after it became apparent that neither of the Evans' sons, Bob nor Eli, were interested in assuming the responsibility of managing Evans United Department Stores Company, Evans sold the chain of six stores to BelkBelk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
.