Civil Rights Movement Sit-ins

794 Words2 Pages

Sit-in’s affected The Civil Rights Movement in many different ways. They became a new technique used to integrate public facilities. Sit-ins were used all across Mississippi, Tennessee, and North Carolina and sometimes in Alabama. The main sit-in that started a new way to protest was in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Greensboro sit-in was the launch of the civil rights movement. The sit-in took place in a Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sit-in movement was started on February 1, 1960 when four African American college students sat at the white’s only counter in a Woolworth’s store and were refused service. Woolworth’s was a diner that allowed everyone in despite their color but they only served whites. After being refused service the students sat patiently while being threatened. This caused a spark of sit-ins that no one has ever done without a serious purpose.
The four students got their idea for the sit in from a handout on tactics on resistance by CORE. The four students were considered hero’s to some African Americans. They were never served food but there sit in caused the shop to close 30 minutes early. When the students returned to their college campus they were greeted by fellow students and they were called heroes. Their idea motivated other students to join in on the sit in so on February 2nd, 24 students took part in a sit in at the same Woolworth’s food counter. Many white people started to realize what they were doing and why and that caused white female students from a North Carolina Women’s College to join the sit in. This sit in began to effect several segregated food counters throughout Greensboro. Later on the chaos of the sit-ins caused the Woolworth’s dinner to be forcefully closed.
T...

... middle of paper ...

...hern cities to completely desegregate public facilities. The sit in campaign was used as an example for many future civil rights campaigns. The future civil rights campaigns were mainly student-run campaigns.
In the near future there was a ton of negativity and opposition throughout most of the future campaigns. “Sit-down” students have been taught that resistance to tyranny is honorable. While in the background of the movement the student’s ad became new leaders. They introduced a new nonviolent approach to achieve integration since they had nothing to lose.

Works Cited

Passanante, Aly. Global Nonviolent Action Database. 30 January 2011. 15 May 2014 .

International Civil Rights Center & Museum. n.d. 15 May 2014 .

More about Civil Rights Movement Sit-ins

Open Document