The Greensboro lunch counter protests of 1960 marked a pivotal moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. On February 1, 1960, four Black American college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University — Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil — sat down at a "whites-only" lunch counter at the Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina. Refused service, they remained seated in a peaceful protest against racial segregation. Their courageous action sparked a wave of similar sit-ins across the South, as thousands of students joined in, demanding equal rights and the end of segregation in public spaces. The Greensboro sit-ins led to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee or (SNCC), which became a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement. The protests ultimately contributed to the desegregation of Woolworth’s and other establishments, demonstrating the power of nonviolent resistance and youth activism.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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