GREENSBORO, N.C. — An important meeting on Wednesday led to the F.W. Woolworth building that houses the International Civil Rights Center and Museum getting a big honor.
A committee with the National Park Services has taken the first step to make the building a national landmark.
WFMY News 2 spoke to co-founder Earl Jones, who said the journey is tough, but the museum is defying the odds.
"The mere fact that they are looking at us now and at a very young stage in our development. I think it speaks to the importance and significance of this site," Jones recalled.
He said it could take two decades to be nationally recognized. Jones said he's humbled to have been a part of this process for only 15 years.
"We feel pretty good at the fact of where we are right now. It's a long, tedious process, and the staff has done an excellent job at working with the National Park Service and staff," Jones said.
The museum sits inside a historic landmark. On Feb. 1, 1960, four young black men from NC A&T, known as the Greensboro Four, sat at a lunch counter where they were not allowed. The men sat there peacefully while facing rejection. The bold move started a movement nationwide. National recognition helps preserve the building through federal funds for generations to enjoy.
"Whenever I go to the civil rights museum and see the counter with the barstools there. I have a grin because it's real history; community activist B.J. Gerald-Covington said, " My sisters and I would often go into Woolworths and sit down; at that time, we could sit down."
If it becomes a national landmark, the federal government will provide funding and other resources to preserve the site for future generations.
The committee is also considering giving the designation to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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