Coon Chicken Inn restaurants were located in the states of Oregon, Utah, and Washington. In 1925, Maxon Lester Graham and Adelaide Burt opened first of three Coon's Chicken Inn restaurants; the restaurants remained opened and prospered until the late 1950’s. Around the time Coon Chicken Inn restaurants were closing, Aunt Jemima restaurant opened its doors in Disneyland then several more Aunt Jemima restaurants opened across America. Aunt Jemima's trademark was a black lady who wore a gingham scarf with a matching gingham apron along with an oversized smile; Coon Chicken Inn's logo was a grinning black bellhop (see above picture). To enter Coon Chicken Inn restaurant’s you walked through the bellhop's face and his pearly grinning white teeth. In Aunt Jemima and Coon Chicken Inn restaurant’s black men and women employee's were required to portrayed the mammy and bellhop images, smiling was a part of the portrayal. These restaurant’s had utensils, china, glasses, and matches, as well as other items throughout the restaurants. Aunt Jemima and Coon Chicken Inn trademark’s are just a few Reconstruction and Jim Crow, “images of black folks in their place in society”, that were seen everywhere one looked. More restaurants like these existed locating these types of restaurant's is another reason collecting Black American artifacts can become a knowledge builder. 

York, George Washington Carver, Crispus Attucks and Louis Armstrong are positive individuals whose images are displayed on liquor decanters. Black American's positive images on containers whose contents brought and still brings havoc to black communities does nothing to uplift the Black race or spread the contributions of the Black American's in the building America. It is highly unlikely that a black child is going to pick up a liquor bottle to learn something positive about their legacy.Most people are familiar with everyone mentioned except York.

York was Clark's slave who traveled with Lewis and Clark during the Lewis and Clark Expedition across America's West. York is one example of a black person whom you will not read about in most history books, if the complete history of the expedition had been written York would be mentioned after all York played a major role in the expedition. Nationally, the achievements of Lewis and Clark, and Sacagawea, have been honored. Lewis and Clark have been honored several times, most recently by the United States Postal Service (USPS), Sacagawea was recently honored when her imaged was used by the United States Mint for the gold dollar, and York was not mentioned at any of the most recent ceremonies. Montana has honored York several times, a statue in Great Falls, Montana honors Lewis, Clark, York and Seaman, Lewis' dog. Lewis and Clark are standing York is kneeling next to Seaman.

In October 2003 sculptor Ed Hamilton created an image of York, before creating the image there was a lot of research done, for more infomation and to see a picture of the statue please visit Ed Hamilton's web page: http://www.edhamiltonworks.com/york_lewis_and_clark_expedition.htm. Finally, York has begun to get the respect and acknowledgement he deserves.

Until Black American's as a race respect, trust and love themselves, in all forums other cultures will continue disrespecting Black people as an ethnic group. The complete history of America must be told, so new arrivals to America will understand the plight of most Black American's who are trying to reach the American dream. Especially when some of the new arrivals accomplish their dreams more rapidly and with far less difficulty compared to Black American’s who were born here and their ancestors fought, invented, built and died in America for centuries. Black American’s loved and loves the country Black American’s help build. Black American’s have proven over and over they love America both during wars and during peace times. Black American’s have earned their merits therefore, American historian's need to write a correct and complete history of African American’s contributions and plights in the building of American, so the healing can begin.