Greensboro Sit-Ins
In early 1960, a few young black students had non-violently protested a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina that started a movement throughout the state.
On February 1, 1960, the "Greensboro Four" sat at a lunch counter in the Woolworth store. The "Greensboro Four" consisted of Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil. They were asked to leave but refused to go and stayed until closing time. The next day they returned with over 20 black students from local colleges and studied and read books at the counter. Later 300 students joined them and blocked the counter from whites and blocking business.
After a week, students all over North Carolina started sit-ins of their own. The sales in the stores started to drop and store managers had no choice but to serve both blacks and whites. On July 25, 1960, a store manager asked four of his black employees to change their clothes and go order food at the lunch counter, officially desegregating his store. Soon store managers all over North Carolina started to follow suit until 1965 when all stores were officially desegregated.
On February 1, 1960, the "Greensboro Four" sat at a lunch counter in the Woolworth store. The "Greensboro Four" consisted of Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil. They were asked to leave but refused to go and stayed until closing time. The next day they returned with over 20 black students from local colleges and studied and read books at the counter. Later 300 students joined them and blocked the counter from whites and blocking business.
After a week, students all over North Carolina started sit-ins of their own. The sales in the stores started to drop and store managers had no choice but to serve both blacks and whites. On July 25, 1960, a store manager asked four of his black employees to change their clothes and go order food at the lunch counter, officially desegregating his store. Soon store managers all over North Carolina started to follow suit until 1965 when all stores were officially desegregated.
March On Washington
On August 28, 1963 more than 200,000 Americans gathered in Washington D.C for political rally known as the march on Washington, for jobs and freedom.As blacks faced continuing discrimination in postwar years, the march on washingtion group met annually to reiterate blacks demands for economic equality . The civil rights movement of the 1960's transformed the political climate, and in 1963, black leaders began to plan a new march on washington , designed specifically to advanced passageof the civil rights act then stalled in congress .
The march was on unnprecendented success . More than 200,000 black and whites shared joyous days of speeches , songs , prayers led by a celebrated array of clergymen, civil rights leaders , politicians, and entertainers. The Rev. Dr Martin Luther's King's soaring address climaxed the day. through his eloquence the phrase "I have a Dream" became an expression of the highest aspirations of the civil rights movement
The march was on unnprecendented success . More than 200,000 black and whites shared joyous days of speeches , songs , prayers led by a celebrated array of clergymen, civil rights leaders , politicians, and entertainers. The Rev. Dr Martin Luther's King's soaring address climaxed the day. through his eloquence the phrase "I have a Dream" became an expression of the highest aspirations of the civil rights movement
Children's March
Rosa Parks
December 1955 Rosa parks quietly incited a revolution by just sitting down. She stepped on the bus for the ride home and sat in the fifth row the first row "colored section". In Montgomery Alabama, when a bus became full, the seats nearer the front were given to white passenger. Montgomery bus driver James Blake ordered parks and three other African American seated nearby to move "move y'all, i want those two seats" to back of the bus. The three riders complied. but Rosa parks did not. Parks was arrested after she refused and fined $10. In 1955, a little known minister named Martin Luther King Jr. led the Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery. King studied the writings and practices of Henry David Thoreau and Mohandas Gandhi . Henry David Thoreau's work civil disobedience provided inspiration for many leaders of the civil rights movement. The demands they made were simple , Black passengers should be treated with courtesy.
seating should be allotted on a first come first serve basis. White and Black passengers sitting from front to back. African American drivers should drive routes that primarily serviced African American. On December 5, 1955 the boycott went into effect. In 1955 the women's political council issued a leaflet calling for a boycott of Montgomery buses. Don't ride the bus to work to town to school or any place Monday December 5. Another Negro woman has been arrested and out in jail because she refused to give up her bus seat. Don't rise the buses to work to town, to school, or any where on Monday. if you work take a cab, or share a ride , or walk. Come to a mass meeting Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the holt street street baptist Church for further instruction. Montgomery officials stopped at nothing in attemping to sabotage the boycott. King and Abernathy's organization the Montgomery improvement association (MIA) had hoped for a so percent support rate among African American. To their surprise and delight 99 percent of the city's African American's refused to ride the bus. The bus company suffered thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Finally, on November 23, 1956, the supreme court ruled in favor if the MIA. Segregate busing was declared unconstitutional. City officials reluctantly agreed to comply with the court ruling. The Montgomery bus boycott triggered a firestorm in the south. Across the region Black resisted "moving to the back seat of the bus". The boycott put Martin Luther King JR. in the national spotlight. He became the Acknowledged leader of the nascent civil rights movement. With Ralph Abernathy, King formed the Southern Christians Leadership Conference (SCLC). This organization was dedicated to fighting Jim Crow segregation.
seating should be allotted on a first come first serve basis. White and Black passengers sitting from front to back. African American drivers should drive routes that primarily serviced African American. On December 5, 1955 the boycott went into effect. In 1955 the women's political council issued a leaflet calling for a boycott of Montgomery buses. Don't ride the bus to work to town to school or any place Monday December 5. Another Negro woman has been arrested and out in jail because she refused to give up her bus seat. Don't rise the buses to work to town, to school, or any where on Monday. if you work take a cab, or share a ride , or walk. Come to a mass meeting Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the holt street street baptist Church for further instruction. Montgomery officials stopped at nothing in attemping to sabotage the boycott. King and Abernathy's organization the Montgomery improvement association (MIA) had hoped for a so percent support rate among African American. To their surprise and delight 99 percent of the city's African American's refused to ride the bus. The bus company suffered thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Finally, on November 23, 1956, the supreme court ruled in favor if the MIA. Segregate busing was declared unconstitutional. City officials reluctantly agreed to comply with the court ruling. The Montgomery bus boycott triggered a firestorm in the south. Across the region Black resisted "moving to the back seat of the bus". The boycott put Martin Luther King JR. in the national spotlight. He became the Acknowledged leader of the nascent civil rights movement. With Ralph Abernathy, King formed the Southern Christians Leadership Conference (SCLC). This organization was dedicated to fighting Jim Crow segregation.