This photo pretty much sums up the political principles of Lester Maddox, a diehard segregationist and a staunchly committed believer in rights of private property owners.
As mentioned earlier, Maddox elected to close his restaurant, The Pickrick, after losing a lengthy court battle in which he challenged the constitutionality of the public accommodations section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The story of Maddox's battle to prevent his restaurant from being integrated drew national headlines and was the subject of frequent reports from the Associated Press and in widely read newspapers such as the New York Times.
After losing his court challenge, Maddox decided to enter the 1966 race for governor of Georgia, leading to an extremely unlikely series of events that culminated in his election.
The whole story is sketched out in the following series of pages, each of which is accompanied by a period photo. To follow along, just keep hitting the NEXT button in the upper right hand corner.
PHOTO: Maddox is seen here in a protest march in downtown Atlanta. He is standing in front of what is currently the 11th Circuit Judicial Court of Appeals.
Photo source: Speaking Out: The Autobiography of Lester Maddox (1975)