Essay Example on Group of four African American college Students

In 1960 Ezell Blair Jr Franklin McCain Joseph McNeil and David Richmond were a group of four African American college students who sat down in protest at a whites only lunch counter in Greensboro North Carolina in 1960 At that time many facilities in the United States especially in the South were racially segregated World Book 1 In other words people who were not white could not use many public and or private services and or businesses This paper will focus on the Greensboro Four the conflict of segregated lunch counters what they did what laws were made The Greensboro Four wanted segregation to be outlawed in the U S They met in their free time to discuss civil rights and segregation They kept thinking of plans to protest but never actually put those plans into action The breaking point for the group came after Christmas vacation when Joseph McNeil was returning to N C A T after spending the holidays at home in New York McNeil was denied service at a Greyhound bus station in Greensboro 

As the days passed the sit in got more and more attention and supporters On February 4 More than 300 students participate in the protests Students from N C A T Bennett College and Dudley High School occupied every seat at the lunch counter Three white supporters Genie Seaman Marilyn Lott and Ann Dearsley from the Woman s College of the University of North Carolina now UNCG The Greensboro Chronology 9 A crucial day in the protest was February 6 For example Early that morning more than 1 400 N C A T students met in Harrison Auditorium After voting to continue the protest many headed to the F W Woolworth store They filled every seat as the store opened A large number of counter protesters showed up as well By noon more than 1 000 people packed the store The Greensboro Chronology 13 Also a caller said a bomb was set to go off at the store at 1 30 the crowd moved to another store which quickly closed Soon the sit ins and other acts of freedom of assembly had inspired more people to rise against segregation and they had spread to 55 cities and 13 states by April After months of students protesting as well as violence and arrests Woolworth finally integrated it s Greensboro lunch counter for everyone on July 25 1960 F W Woolworth employees Charles Bess Mattie Long Susie Morrison and Jamie Robinson are the first African Americans to eat at the lunch counter The headline of The Greensboro Record read Lunch Counters Integrated Here The Greensboro Chronology 29 All across America the Greensboro sit ins inspired more than 70 000 people had participated in sit ins which resulted in more than 3 000 arrests Sit ins at whites only lunch counters inspired subsequent kneel ins at segregated churches sleep ins at segregated motel lobbies swim ins at segregated pools wade ins at segregated beaches read ins at segregated libraries play ins at segregated parks and watch ins at segregated movies The Greensboro Chronology 32 Soon laws were passed to end segregation everywhere in the U S not just Greensboro which was a small step against discrimination in the U S