One of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi defied segregation . The first restaurant to serve black people was opened by a white man named John White at his home on St. Charles Avenue in downtown Jackson, Miss., in 1892. `` We knew how the blacks must 've felt , '' says son Pat Davis . Long-time worker : Pat Davis operates Abe 's BBQ . Abe 's is symbol of great barbecue and the civil rights struggle .
One of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi defied segregation . The first restaurant to serve black people was opened by a white man named John White at his home on St. Charles Avenue in downtown Jackson, Miss., in 1892. `` We knew how the blacks must 've felt , '' says son Pat Davis . Long-time worker : Abe 's is symbol of great barbecue and the civil rights struggle .