Once upon a time, black people in America had all the jobs--at least all of the ones that were considered "less-skilled." The most ubiquitous jobs we had were preparing and serving foods. We did it on plantations and in kitchens. After Emancipation, we continued to cook and serve in fine restaurants where we were not allowed to eat, and in greasy spoons, where we were not allowed to eat. Even now, we're the default waiting staff.

When did the trend of findiing black servers begin? Did it become more prevalent when we had to be paid for our services, or paid more than a pittance?