Greensboro Sit Ins

Question 1

What happened?

Answer 1

• Started by four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina.
• They sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and politely asked to be served but were refused.
• This act of peaceful protest sparked similar sit-ins across the South, challenging segregation in public places.

Question 2

Features?

Answer 2

Nonviolent direct action, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy.
• Protesters faced verbal abuse, threats, and arrests but remained peaceful.
• The sit-ins spread to over 50 cities and involved thousands of people.
• They pressured businesses and cities to desegregate public facilities.

Question 3

Why is it important?

Answer 3

✅ Showed the power of youth-led, nonviolent protest.
✅ Helped energize the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
✅ Led to desegregation of many lunch counters and public places.
✅ Inspired other campaigns like the Freedom Rides and the Birmingham Campaign.