Nix Jack

[Grant Barrett]

Just finished watching part six of the Ric Burns documentary on New York
City. One interesting item: During a segment covering the Thirties riots in
Harlem, in which white-owned and black-unfriendly businesses were trashed
and burned along 125th Street, black-owned business made signs to let
rioters know that a store was black- or Negro-owned.

On one storefront window someone had written in large letters with shoe
polish, soap or paint,

"Negro owned
Nix Jack."

(The first line could have been different; the second line I'm sure of).

What is "Nix Jack"? Is that like "Don't do it, pal" or "Forget it, Mac"?

--

Grant Barrett
gbarrett at worldnewyork.org
http://www.worldnewyork.org/
New York Loves You Back