Did the Wilans, a Jewish family, feel that morality competed with their interests?
“Hell, no,” Sam said. “We didn’t go into people’s morals. In our other businesses, we had colored people and we were on good relations with them.” The Wilans maintained that federal civil rights laws did not apply to them because they were a privately owned business. Finally, in July 1967, the Wilans relented and allowed the first blacks to swim. “It had the effect of opening up the whole Valley,” (Black leader) Davis said. “After that, we didn’t have any problems with discrimination in public places.” A deluge of black swimmers never materialized at Rock Lake. Davis, Gilmer and other black leaders had made their point. “When we did let them in, they never came,” Wilan said of black protesters. “All they ever wanted out of that place was publicity.” Many whites quit going to the pool because they didn’t like the tension. When it ended, they never came back. Rock Lake’s business never recovered, though other factors helped explain it. Government-subsidized pools popped up all over the K
