The Sit-In Movement
By Amelia Bianchi
The sit-in movement was a type of passive protest started by African American students, especially college students, in the South. Sit-ins were forms of protest that involved a group of people occupying a public area, such as seats at a lunch counter or other segregated places. Students that participated in sit-ins were often harassed, threatened, or hit with food by other, often white, customers. If a student was attacked by someone else, they would curl up on the floor and be beaten without defending themselves (UShistory.org). Despite being a passive protest, many of the public places where sit-ins occurred actually desegregated due to boycotts, inconvenience of the sit-ins, or negative influence on the business. Sit-ins eventually spread across the South, desegregating many public institutions.
One of the more recognized sit-ins, the Greensboro sit-ins, were a great example of the impact the youth of America had on segregated public companies. On February 1, 1960, four African-American students enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University were refused service at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina (UShistory.org). Instead of leaving, the four men sat down, awaiting service until the store closed that day. On the fourth day of the sit-in, over 300 students from different colleges in the area participated in the sit-in, some of them protesting in other lunch counters around the city of Greensboro (Wikipedia). Students in other southern towns and states were inspired by the success of this passive protest, and eventually sit-ins spread throughout the South. Sit-ins received a large amount of government and media attention, with some appearing in daily articles in the newspaper (Sykes B1).
Another example of a sit-in occurred in downtown Baltimore, Maryland at Hooper's restaurant. The twelve African American students conducting the sit-in were arrested, charged with criminal trespass, and fined $10. They eventually brought their case, named Bell vs. Maryland, to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the charges against the students appeared racist and did not follow the fourteenth amendment (Wikipedia).
Through this final decision from the Supreme Court, the students were able to carry out more sit-ins to promote integration. African American students throughout the South were inspired by this form of support from the Supreme Court, and therefore the students were able to take advantage of the support to carry out more sit-ins and change the segregation policies of public institutions like lunch counters and restaurants.
Through this final decision from the Supreme Court, the students were able to carry out more sit-ins to promote integration. African American students throughout the South were inspired by this form of support from the Supreme Court, and therefore the students were able to take advantage of the support to carry out more sit-ins and change the segregation policies of public institutions like lunch counters and restaurants.