“Greensboro Four” photo, (1960)
This photo displays North Carolina A&T students, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, and Joseph McNeil sitting at Woolworth’s lunch counter. Known as the “Greensboro Four”, these students decided to plan a sit-in at Woolworths, whose policy was to serve “whites only”. During the mid-1900s, African Americans were refused service at “whites only” establishments, which angered these students into planning a sit-in. Without breaking the rule set, the local police were unable to arrest the students, which proved the sit-in as successful. With the help of a local businessman, the sit-in gained heavy press, which would provoke sit-ins from African Americans across the south. The successfulness of this sit-in also promoted the non-violent fights for justice that was being urged for use by Civil Rights leaders. This initial sit-in would influence sit-ins in over 55 cities, and cause Woolworth’s to remove its racial segregation as well [1].
“CORE Distributing Booklet on Sit-ins”, Baltimore Afro-American (1960)
This article from the Baltimore Afro-American depicts the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) strategy of distributing booklets about the sit-ins that were occurring in 1960. The article states that CORE was relaying accounts of the sit-ins and the success of sit-ins nationwide, and promoting other African Americans to plan sit-ins as well. The article also displays stories of students who have participated in sit-ins as heroic. Accompanied by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), CORE heavily promoted sit-ins and other peaceful protests in the mid-1900s. The promotion of successful nonviolent protests would help influence thousands of African Americans to join and participate in the Civil Rights Movement. Sit-ins would also create racial integration in public restaurants, and help pursue racial integration in all public institutions.
Notes
- Thurber, T. N. “February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four.” OAH Magazine of History 20, no. 1 (February 01, 2006): 30-44. Accessed April 25, 2019.