Pioneer Profile: Jeraline & Larry James Bethune

Photo courtesy of al.com

Imagine life in 1950’s Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks had just defied authorities and would not give up her seat at the front of a bus. A bus boycott ensued, and a local restaurant opened their doors as a gathering spot for discussion and planning by leaders in the community. 

Brenda’s BBQ, then owned and run by Jeraline and Larry James Bethune since 1942, offered exactly that type of safe haven. The restaurant, in addition to offering a physical space for organizers to meet, had a printing machine that enabled them to print out fliers about the boycott and other important Civil Rights Movement events. 

After her husband died, Jeraline started teaching other Black folks to read and write so they could pass the literacy test which was a prerequisite to vote during the Jim Crow era. She even participated in the Selma to Montgomery March that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Brenda’s BBQ is still in business with the Bethune family running daily operations. Many local residents are loyal customers of Brenda’s and have fond memories of all the work that Jeraline did to empower the people in their community.To this day, The history of Brenda’s BBQ is a reminder of the integral space restaurants can play in political and social movements in this country.