February 1st, 1960 Greensboro Sit-In

The Beginning of the Movement: During the 1960s, southern states were still mostly segregated and it was not a strange thing. Southern states did not enact the desegregation laws as quickly as the other states did. This was not fair for the African American people and they took action, a non-violent course of action. In 1960, four students from a local college decided that enough was enough. They decided to show the white people of the area that things were still segregated and that it should be changed. They decided to target a local business, Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro. The four of them, Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil, sat at the segregated counter at this diner. The waiters, waitresses, and managers refused to take their orders and serve them. As a result of this, these students did not get up until closing time and came back at opening the next morning. They returned the next day and brought more of their friends from the college. They filled the entire counter so no one else could sit and order. They occupied these chairs all day, everyday. The store was still not serving them just because of the color of their skin. The store, as well as others, was losing money because they had no business since they were not serving anyone. The news spread to other towns and states, which caused people to follow by the example and occupy other stores. They demanded service and they did not receive it. Reaction of the Locals: Throughout these non-violent forms of rebellion, there was violence towards these people. Other teenagers and sometimes adults became violent with these non-violent protestors. They used their fists and sometimes baseball bats and other objects to hurt these people. The white people in these areas thought this would make the African Americans stop their protests but it didn’t. It actually brought more attention to them. Result of the Non-violence: The people did not stop at just hurting them but they actually got police involvement. The Woolworth’s store in Greensboro called the police on the teenagers and they came and demanded the African Americans leave or else they would go to jail. After just over a month, there was a big change. Many stores desegregated and started serving the African Americans. This proves that non-violence is a good way to protest and it makes a big difference. The Greensboro Sit-In was proven to be effective and allowed African Americans to sit where they liked and order at restaurants freely.