Sit-ins
February 1, 1960
Sit-ins began February 1 of 1960 in North Carolina when four African American students went into a whites only department store lunch counter and asked to be served. The restaurant refused to serve them so instead of leaving, the students just sat there at the store until it closed. Over the next five days, they came in and did the same thing over and over again - just sat at the whites only counter and did school work. Each time more African Americans came and sat with them. A group of angry protesters and management told them to leave, but the students kept up their protest until the store was forced to close its doors. Sit- ins like this occurred over many other states. The four black students who started these sit-ins were Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, and David Richmand.