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Four Friends Challenge Each Other
After McNeil was denied service at a Greensboro bus station, the four young men met and decided to take action. They challenged each other to stop talking and take action - not realizing the journey they would take the next day with initiate such change in the nation and world. -
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Greensboro Sit In Events
Resource:
International Civil Rights Center and Museum Website
Images: Public Domain -
The Greensboro Four
Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond entered Woolworth store in Greensboro, NC around 4:30 pm and sat down at the store's "white's only" lunch counter and ordered coffee, and were denied service. They were ignored, and asked to leave. However, they remained peacefully seated at the counter until the store closed early at 5:00 pm. -
25 Men + 4 Women
On day two, 25 men, including the 4 freshmen and 4 women, returned to Woolworth store sitting from 11 am to 3 pm. They were constantly heckled by patrons but the students sat with books and study materials to keep busy. They still were denied service. Newspapers caught wind of the story and police officers monitored the scene. NAACP voted unanimously to support the students' efforts. -
60 Students
More than 60 students, 1/3 of them female, returned on day 3 to the store. They filled every available lunch counter seat. Students from Bennett College and Dudley High School joined the protests. Many sat in shifts. Members of the KKK were present. White patrons taunted the students who remained studying. -
300+ Students
More than 300 students participate on Day 4! Three white students join their efforts. Tensions grew and police keep the crowd in check. Waiting students moved the protest to a second lunch counter down the street at S.H. Kress as the sit-ins spread. -
Tensions Mounted Early
At the store opening, the lunch counter was filled with 50 white males in opposition of the sit-ins. The remaining areas were filled by the protesting students. Some arrests were made and store closed early. Store representatives, students and college officials met that evening. Woolworth personnel asked students to limit protests and asked college admins to end the sit-ins. College administrators stated that they can not control the private activity of students. -
1400 Students Meet
Over 1400 students met at A&T auditorium and voted to continue the protest and many then headed to the Woolworth store. They filled every seat at the store opening. By noon, more than 1000 people packed the store.
At 1:00 pm, a bomb threat was called in and the crowd moved to the Kress lunch counter.
That evening, a rally of 1600 students voted to suspend protests for two weeks in an effort to allow stores time to adjust policies. -
February 8-14, 1960
Students in Winston-Salem and Durham, NC held sit-ins to demonstrate their solidarity with Greensboro students. The Sit-in Movement spread to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. -
February 15-21, 1960
The Greensboro City Council worked with students to reach a compromise. The Mayor agreed to appoint a committee to address the issue and protesters agreed to continue negotiations. Several local organizations announced support of integration. -
February 22-28, 1960
The lunch counters at Woolworth and Kress stores reopened, but were still segregated. The Greensboro Mayor introduced is committee on Community Relations and the Chairman worked to increase public support of integration by encouraging people to express their opinions in writing. -
Movement Spreads
By the end of February 1960, the Sit-ins Movement had spread to more than 30 cities in eight states. -
March 1960
Over 2000 citizen letters are received and 73% support integration of the lunch counters. The Advisory Committee met with downtown businesses but they still refused to integrate. By the end of March, the movement has spread to 55 cities and 13 states. -
Greensboro Sit-ins Resume
Students resumed their protests at Woolworth and Kress stores. Picketing also began on Elm and Sycamore Streets. At a mass meeting that evening, more than 1200 pledged to continue the sit-ins. -
Lunch Counters Close
Both the Woolworth and Kress stores officially close their lunch counters. -
More Support
Thurgood Marshall speaks at Bennett College and urges those in attendance not to compromise their efforts. Continued protests encourage an economic boycott of the two stores. -
April 16-17, 1960
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized a meeting at Shaw University in Raleigh and leader Ella Baker encouraged students to form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. -
Arrested
Forty-five students, including three of the original four Greensboro Sit-in students, were arrested for trespassing as they sat at the Kress store lunch counter. -
June 1960
When NC A&T and Bennett students leave for the summer, Dudley High School students took up the charge. Protests expand to Meyers and Walgreens. -
Changes Coming
Woolworth manager met with the the Advisory Committee to inform them that the store would soon serve all properly dressed and well-behaved people. The Kress manager was present at the meeting. -
"Lunch Counters Integrated Here"
Woolworth employees Charles Bess, Mattie Long, Susie Morrison and Jamie Robinson are the first African Americans to eat at the lunch counter. The Kress counter opened that day as well. -
Desegregation
F. W. Woolworths opens as a desegregated store. -
From 4 to 70,000 People
By August of 1961 over 70,000 had participated in sit-ins. The lunch counter sit-ins lead to kneel-ins at segregated churches, sleep-ins at motel lobbies, swim-ins at pools, wade-ins at beaches, read-ins at libraries, play-ins at parks and watch-ins at movies.
