GREENSBORO, N.C. — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Greensboro Four Sit-In on Friday.
On February 01, 1960, Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair Jr.), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond – known collectively as the A&T Four – "sat - in" at the whites–only lunch counter at Woolworth's in downtown Greensboro. They refused to leave when denied service and stayed until the store closed. The bold act led to a sit-in movement and forced dining facilities across the South to integrate by the summer of 1960. Woolworth's was desegregated by the end of July 1960.
The N.C. A&T Sit-In Commemorative Program will begin at 7 a.m. with special guest speaker, Roland Martin. Accordingly, Martin has devoted a significant portion of his career focusing on issues impacting the African American community, most notably political advocacy. Martin is currently the host and managing editor of #RolandMartinUnfiltered, the first daily online show in history focused on news and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports, and culture from an explicitly African American perspective.
Having been named as one of the 150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States four times by Ebony Magazine, he has been showered with more than 30 awards for journalistic excellence, including Journalist of the Year in 2013 by the National Association of Black Journalists for his extensive focus on voter suppression and other issues of concern to African Americans during the 2012 election. Martin spent six years as a contributor for CNN, appearing on numerous shows and earning accolades for his no-holds-barred honesty, conviction, and perspective on various issues. He spent 13 years at TV One, where he played an integral role in building the Black-owned network. He has penned several books including, "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith," "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America," and "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin," and contributed to many others.
For more information about the N.C. A&T Sit-In Commemorative Program, click here.
The February One Sit-In program includes (all events are on the A&T campus):
- Breakfast: 7 a.m., Alumni-Foundation Event Center
- Program, featuring Roland Martin, 8 a.m.
- Laying of the A&T Four Memorial Wreaths, 10 a.m., February One Monument
- Panel Discussion, 10:30 a.m., Harrison Auditorium
Chronology of the Sit–In: Events that occurred as a result of this bold action by these four young men included:
- February 2nd, 1960 — twenty–five other students from A&T and other Greensboro colleges and universities joined them.
- During the next 10 days, students across the state participated in similar sit-ins.
- By the third week of February 1960, demonstrations had spread to at least 250 major cities and towns in the U.S. in which over 400 demonstrations took place by the end of 1960.
- Woolworth's was desegregated by the end of July 1960.
Legacy: As a result of this movement, significant events in civil rights history occurred:
- The passage of the 1960 Civil Rights Bill.
- The Interstate Commerce Commission ruling in September 1961 against racial segregation on interstate carriers and terminals.
- The first National Public Accommodations Act in 100 years (Khazan 2004).
- The legacy of these four heroes proves the true potential and appeal of nonviolence. It was their protest that became the model and inspiration for later civil rights, anti-war and women's liberations movements. These four young men forever changed the course of history by their bravery and courage.