Greensboro Sit-In

“Let’s all sit together, as human beings should.”

Greensboro citizens

The Greensboro Sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests against racial segregation, beginning on February 1, 1960 in a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was organized by SNCC, which had a large presence in the south.

SNNC

SNCC is an abbreviation for the “Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee,” which was created in April 1960 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a driving force in the civil rights struggle. In 1961 and 1963, it planned the Freedom Rides and was instrumental in the March on Washington. It collaborated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Ezell Blair, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond coordinated this gathering (all were African Americans and young students at the University of Greensboro).

Spreading The Movement: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Sncc) Expansion

SNCC was founded in 1960 in response to the Greensboro sit-ins, which had been organized by four African American college students in North Carolina. The sit-ins sparked a wave of protests across the South, and SNCC quickly grew in size and influence. The organization’s initial focus was on organizing sit-ins and other nonviolent protests, but they soon expanded their activities to include voter registration drives, freedom rides, and other civil rights initiatives.

SNCC’s growth was fueled by a combination of factors, including the dedication and energy of its members, the national attention generated by the sit-ins, and the support of other civil rights organizations and leaders. By the early 1960s, SNCC had become one of the most prominent and effective civil rights organizations in the country.

SNCC was instrumental in organizing and leading many of the most significant civil rights protests and initiatives of the 1960s. They played a key role in the freedom rides, which challenged segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals. They also organized voter registration drives in the South, where African Americans were systematically denied the right to vote.

SNCC’s leadership was also evident in the March on Washington in 1963, where SNCC leader John Lewis delivered a powerful speech calling for an end to segregation and discrimination. SNCC was also involved in the Selma to Montgomery marches, which helped to secure the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

SNCC’s strategies and goals evolved over time in response to changing circumstances and challenges. In the early 1960s, their focus was on organizing sit-ins and other nonviolent protests to challenge segregation and discrimination. As the movement grew and became more confrontational, SNCC began to adopt more radical strategies, such as advocating for Black Power and engaging in armed self-defense.

SNCC’s goals also evolved, from a focus on desegregating public spaces to a broader agenda of economic and social justice. SNCC began to emphasize issues such as poverty, education, and healthcare, recognizing that these were key barriers to equality and justice.

The Role Of Nonviolent Resistance In Civil Rights

The philosophy of nonviolent resistance was a central tenet of SNCC’s approach to the civil rights movement. SNCC activists believed that nonviolence was the most effective way to bring about social change, as it allowed them to expose the injustices of segregation and discrimination without resorting to violence. Nonviolent resistance also had a moral dimension, as it allowed activists to remain true to their principles and values.

SNCC’s commitment to nonviolent resistance was evident in their tactics. They organized sit-ins, boycotts, and other forms of peaceful protest to challenge segregation and discrimination. They also engaged in voter registration drives, recognizing that political power was critical to achieving their goals. SNCC’s nonviolent approach was successful in many ways, helping to bring about significant changes in civil rights laws and policies.

SNCC’s approach to the civil rights movement differed from that of other organizations, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). While these organizations also employed nonviolent tactics, they tended to be more focused on legal and political strategies. SNCC, on the other hand, was more grassroots-oriented, with a focus on organizing communities and mobilizing people to take action.

SNCC’s approach was also more confrontational than that of other organizations, which sometimes led to conflict with law enforcement and other authorities. This confrontational approach was a deliberate strategy, aimed at exposing the violence and injustice of segregation and discrimination. While it was not always successful in the short term, it helped to raise awareness of the civil rights movement and build momentum for change.

The influence of nonviolent resistance on social justice movements has been enduring, with many activists and organizations continuing to employ this philosophy today. Nonviolent resistance has been used in many different contexts, from the struggle against apartheid in South Africa to the fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

One of the most significant legacies of nonviolent resistance is its ability to inspire and mobilize people. The civil rights movement in the United States inspired many other movements around the world, from the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa to the pro-democracy movement in Burma. Nonviolent resistance has also been used to challenge authoritarian regimes and fight for democracy in many countries.

Activists Plans

Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., these four men were determined to expose racial segregation and change racist policies. During his Christmas break in 1959, McNeil went to have a hot dog at the Greensboro Greyhound Lines bus station but was refused because of the color of his skin. Following that, the four men decided it was time to act. Enlisting the assistance of Ralph Johns (a local white businessman sympathetic to their cause), they meticulously organized their social action. The A&T Four, often known as the Greensboro Four, devised a straightforward strategy and carefully planned every detail.

The Moment When Four Students Sat Down To Take a Stand

The Greensboro Four went to a Woolworth’s retail store on the afternoon of February 1. The temperature was hot, but the four gentlemen were cozy in their coats and ties. While the business was open to customers, African Americans could not eat there.

They had an explicit policy that said that they would serve anyone except Blacks. The Greensboro Four, on the other hand, purchased simple common items such as a toothbrush and a notebook and retained the receipt as proof. They then took a step forward and with their hearts racing, they sat at the lunch counter and requested coffee.

They were banished to a standing snack bar since the lunch counter was designated for “whites only.” The white server directed them to the standing snack bar. In addition, the personnel refused to serve them. The Greensboro four respectfully asked them to let them be seated. McCain informed the server that he had already served them (by providing the receipts) and that they simply wanted to be serviced.

At the same time, a white lady approached the Greensboro four. They expected her to hurl insults at them but rather she expressed her displeasure with them. When McCain inquired as to the reason for her dissatisfaction, the lady replied that she was disappointed it took them so long to do this. Implying they should have done this sooner.

The store manager then asked them to leave, but they insisted on sitting there while they shopped. The manager contacted his superior, who simply stated that they would soon give up, go away and be forgotten. The Greensboro four stayed there until the shop closed for the day, then returned to campus, where they were greeted as heroes by their classmates.

The following day, on February 2, 1960, more than 20 students joined them at the same café. They were once again refused service and were also harassed by white customers. But they began working in groups to complete their tasks.

The manager of the lunch counter contacted immediately. At the same time, Johns had already informed the local media, where crews rushed to the scene to report the events on television. The cops couldn’t do anything because the Greensboro four paid for their services and didn’t break any restrictions. The media was quick to respond. The Greensboro four remained until the store closed. The images of the Greensboro four were published in the local newspaper, and the protest grew as a result. The pupils addressed a letter to Woolworths’ president,

“Dear president, we the undersigned are students at the Negro college in the city of Greensboro. Time and time again we have gone into Woolworths stores in Greensboro. We have bought thousands of items at the hundreds of counters in your stores. Our money was accepted without rancor or discrimination and with politeness towards us when at a long counter just three feet away our money is not acceptable because of the color of our skin. We are asking your company to take a firm stand to eliminate discrimination. We firmly believe that God will give you courage and guidance in solving the problem. Sincerely yours, Student Executive Committee.”

Greensboro sit-ins Quotes

“It’s a feeling that I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to have again. It’s the kind of thing that people pray for. And wish for all their lives and never experience it. And I felt as though I wouldn’t have been cheated out of life had that been the end of my life at that second or that moment.”

Franklin McCain

None of them anticipated being able to walk out of Woolworths that day. They could have been arrested because it was so dangerous. The Greensboro Four’s deed that day was a remarkable act of bravery.

“The first day, four. The second day is probably 16 or 20. It was organic. The mind of its own,” according to Joseph McNeil.

The identical scene played out again on February 3rd and 4th. Protesters began filling seats at the tip of one’s finger. And spilled out onto the walkways from the store. The protest was widely covered in the media over several weeks. Sit-ins began to take place across the country. Soon, dining establishments throughout the South were unified, and by July 1960 (after 5 months), the lunch counter at the Greensboro Woolworths began serving black diners.

“What I learned from that little incident was… don’t you ever, ever stereotype anybody in this life until you at least experience them and have the opportunity to talk to them. I’m even more cognizant of that today – a situation like that – and I’m always open to people who speak differently, who look different, and who came from different places.”
Franklin McCain.

In this way, the Greensboro sit-in served as a model for nonviolent resistance and proclaimed the Civil Rights Movement’s early and surprising success.

Greensboro sit-ins Facts

The Greensboro Four were influenced by Mohandas Gandhi and the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), an interracial American group founded by James Farmer in 1942 to foster better race relations. The death in 1955 of a black little boy, Emmett Till, who reportedly whistled at a white woman in a Mississippi store, inspired the Greensboro Four to act.

Did you know?
The old Woolworth’s lunch counter has been converted into a civil rights center and museum. It has a reconstructed version of the lunch counter where the Greensboro Four sat. A portion of the original counter can be seen at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Greensboro sit-ins Protest

Until February 5th, 300 students participated in the demonstration at Woolworth’s. As well as a few white students from the University of North Carolina’s Woman’s College. Future civil rights leader Julian Bond frequently stated, “The civil rights movement for me began on February 4, 1960.” That is when he came across the title “Greensboro student’s sit-in for a third day” in a newspaper. Wondering if anyone would do that there, he took on the initiative himself. Following that, coverage grew and grew.

Extremely effective T.V. coverage influenced the sit-in movement, which quickly spread to college towns throughout the north and south. Young black and white people, male and female students, joined in various forms of peaceful protest against racism in libraries, beaches, hotels, public areas, and other establishments.

By the end of March 1960, the campaign had spread to 55 cities across 13 states. Even though many restrooms were detained for disrupting the peace, the sit-ins drew increased attention to the civil rights movement as a result of national media coverage.

As a result, by the summer of 1960, Black had access to dining facilities. When many area universities were closed for the summer, college students rushed to Woolworth’s, where four black Woolworth’s employees were among the first to serve.

Greensboro sit-ins Impact

The Greensboro sit-ins of 1960 elicited a wide range of emotions at the time, and they remain an important part of civil rights history. The sit-in movement produced a new sense of pride and power for African Americans. The Greensboro sit-in was a watershed moment in African and American history, ushering in the fight for civil rights. Its nonviolent use inspired the Freedom Riders and others to fight for equal rights in the United States. The public in the Northern, Eastern, and Western states were all affected.

McCain later said:

“The sit-in was not about Frank McCain, or Ezell Blair [Jibreel Khan], or Joe MacNeil sitting down and having a cup of coffee next to a white person. It was much deeper than that. It was about choice. It was about having the ability to say I choose to sit down. Or I choose to drink from that water fountain. I don’t choose black water or white water or colored water. I want water.”

Response and Resistance

The Greensboro Sit-In faced significant opposition from business owners and segregationists. Many white business owners first refused to serve the African American demonstrators and tried to drive them away by intimidating and harassing them. Segregationists saw the sit-in as a danger to the existing quo, and they responded with hostility and opposition, using strategies to discredit the protest and uphold racial segregation.

Despite the hostility, the local community and national civil rights organizations supported the sit-in. African American community members rallied around the protesters, providing encouragement and assistance. National civil rights organizations endorsed the sit-in and sent resources to support the demonstrators, including the NAACP.

As tensions escalated, violence and aggression were directed at the sit-in participants. Segregationists and white nationalists reacted angrily to the protest, using physical violence and threats. Even though these violent acts were intended to end the movement, they simply highlighted how crucial and urgent the battle against racial discrimination is.

Cultural Representations and Commemoration

Various forms of cultural media have shown and remembered the Greensboro Sit-In. It has been mentioned in publications, videos, and documentaries that emphasize the importance of the demonstration to the civil rights struggle. These portrayals provide a visual and narrative representation of the events, educating audiences about the courage and determination of the participants. Paintings and sculptures, for example, immortalize the sit-in and its influence on the fight for racial equality while also capturing its essence.

Historical markers and monuments have been erected to commemorate the significance of the Greensboro Sit-In. These monuments serve as a visible, concrete reminder of the sit-in’s effects, preserving the protest’s memory for coming generations. The visitors are educated about the courageous deeds of the participants and the greater civil rights movement through these educational tools.

The Greensboro Sit-In and its participants are remembered with commemorative occasions and anniversaries. Community members, civil rights leaders, and activists get together at these gatherings to discuss the protest’s importance and continued relevance. Commemorative activities may include speeches, panel discussions, and exhibitions that explore the sit-in’s historical context and its impact on the fight against racial injustice. These occasions also offer chances for discussion, education, and inspiration for ongoing activism.

Continuing Relevance and Lessons Learned

The Greensboro Sit-In remains highly relevant in the ongoing struggle against racial injustice. This starkly brought to mind the structural inequality that underprivileged communities still experience. The sit-in’s legacy inspires current activists to challenge racial inequality and demand justice in various spheres of society, including education, employment, and criminal justice. The protest’s influence may be seen in movements like Black Lives Matter, emphasizing the continued importance of activism and advocacy in the fight against racial injustice.

The Greensboro Sit-In served as an example of the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance as a tactic for bringing about social change. The nonviolent demonstration and unwavering dedication to justice demonstrated the immorality of segregationist policies. The sit-in demonstrated that marginalized communities could challenge oppressive systems and mobilize public support for their cause through organized nonviolence. The following movements have used this lesson as a model for effective activism in the fight for justice and equality.

The legacy of the Greensboro Sit-In continues to inspire activism and the pursuit of equality. It demonstrates how common people can make a big difference when they band together to pursue justice. Current activists are inspired by the sit-in participants’ strength, tenacity, and resolve, which motivates them to oppose injustices and call for equal rights. The story of the sit-in supports the idea that group efforts and solidarity are effective weapons in the continuous struggle against racial inequality, motivating people to work towards a more inclusive and fair society.

Citations:

1. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/lessons-worth-learning-moment-greensboro-four-sat-down-lunch-counter-180974087/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_sit-ins
3. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/educate/lunch.html