On February 1, 1960 four freshmen at North Carolina A&T (Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, and David Richmond) set a spark that kindled a major part of the modern civil rights movement. After a late night dorm room conversation about the injustices of racial segregation and racist brutality, they decided to take action by sitting in at the whites only lunch counter at the Woolworth’s in Greensboro. They bought some items in the store and sat down at the lunch counter asking to be served. They were denied service, and the store management decided to close early for “public safety” reasons. The four young men returned the next day and received similar treatment. Yet within weeks, their form of peaceful non-violent protest set a spark that caught on throughout the South. Student led lunch counter sit-ins became a major feature of the civil rights movement in the early 60’s. As the result of these actions, segregated lunch counters became a relic of the past. This continues to be a powerful witness of how seemingly simple actions by unlikely people can lead to greater levels of justice even in the face of overwhelming odds. How might we be called to stand up or sit down for greater levels of justice for all today? Remember the Greensboro Four whose commitment, creativity, and courage we celebrate 60 years later. Watch the short video below from 2009 in which two of the four reflect on that life changing experience.
