Caldwells Appear On Steve
Turned Away From Resort 60 Years Ago, Civil Rights Leader & Wife Get Honeymoon Do Over
Asbury Park resident Gil Caldwell and his wife Grace will be guests on the Steve [Harvey Show] this week.
The daytime talk show taped the segment Monday to spotlight just how a group of fifth graders took a stand to help the couple get the honeymoon they were barred from having 60 years ago.
Harvey described the segment as a story that ‘moves us and restores our faith in humanity.’
In 1957, the Caldwells drove 8 hours to honeymoon at the then popular Mt. Airy Lodge resort in the Poconos.
“When the couple arrived, the hotel turned them away because of the color of their skin,” Harvey said. “The experience steered [Caldwell] into civil rights activism and he became a voice for human rights and racial equality; walking side by side with Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.”
Now in retirement, the couple spends part of their time sharing their story with school children. After a speaking engagement at Bear Tavern Elementary school last year, the students there took a stand. Each wrote a letter to the resort sharing their reflections and asking for a ‘do over’ honeymoon for the octogenarians.
While the old lodge was torn down years ago, the new owner was so impressed by the students’ letters that they happily obliged, Harvey said.
Check your local listing for the segments’ airing or visit stevetv.com to view a clip.
[Photos courtesy of Steve TV]
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