MILWAUKEE — Wednesday marks the start of Women’s History Month, and TMJ4 News wants to kick it off by showcasing Josephine Hicks, who turns 90 in a few weeks.
Josephine was born in Tennessee during segregation. Her family grew cotton and vegetables.
“I remember once when we went into the city, I was probably 8 years old, and we were in a store, and I sat down on a bench without thinking about it, and a man told me to get off the bench,” Hicks said. “I was not supposed to be sitting on it as a Black girl.”
At the age of 18, Josephine followed two older siblings to Milwaukee for work and better opportunities.
After getting married and having four kids, Hicks and her sister saw an opportunity.
“I remember a neighbor pointed out the empty storefront with a kitchen inside on Burleigh,” Hicks said. “He said he wouldn’t have to come home for lunch if someone opened a restaurant there.”
She and her sister bought the storefront for $95 in 1961 during the Civil Rights Movement.
“I remember we started off with $29 worth of groceries,” Hicks said. “On the first day, we made ham hocks and pork chops with yams, corn, and greens. From there, we would ask people what they wanted to eat, and then we’d make what they’d say.”
They called it Q & F Dinette. A few years later, they moved into a bigger space on Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. The name eventually became Q F & H Diner. It ended up becoming one of the longest-running Black-owned restaurants in Milwaukee. Hicks ran it the entire time. It was open for 46 years.
“When I first opened, I had no idea it would last so long and end up being my life,” Hicks said.
The restaurant was a beloved soul food spot that was frequented by big names – celebrities, religious leaders, and government officials. Hicks has one photo with Hank Aaron, who always requested beef tongue.
“She paved the way,” said Natalie Perkins Hayden, Hicks’ great-great niece. “She did not have a blueprint. She did not have a guide. She did not have the African American Chamber of Commerce. It was a strong woman building other strong women. She hired so many women to work the restaurant over the years.”
Like most of Hicks’ family, Natalie started helping out at the restaurant at a young age.
“I would pour coffee, clear plates, stack shelves,” Natalie said. “Eventually I learned how to work the grill. I learned it was so much more than food. There were so many people who really came in to be loved and appreciated. Anyone who walked through the doors of the restaurant was treated like family.”
“I loved the people,” Hicks said. “I knew their names; I knew their orders. I knew about their lives. If I forgot a name, I’d tell them dinner was on me. So, you know, I really got to remembering names.”
As she nears 90 years old, Hicks has not lost her wit or charm. Let’s make sure her legacy is never lost on us.
JOSEPHINE'S 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
Saturday, March 25, 12:30-5:00 p.m.
Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum
2620 West Center Street
Milwaukee, WI 53206
