NC A&T Celebrates Greensboro Four Sit-In Anniversary

The Greensboro Four (often called the A&T four) sat peacefully at a segregated lunch counter despite numerous threats of violence.

The act of courage sparked a national sit in movement and a chain of protests that led to significant changes in segregation laws.

North Carolina A&T State University holds a sit-in anniversary breakfast every year to mark the day Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair (who now goes by Jibreel Khazan) and the late David Richmond stood up against racial segregation and un-fair treatment.

The four were just teenagers when they sat down at the segregated Woolworth's lunch counter and asked a waitress to serve them. That day a movement began. The men returned to the same Woolworth's counter each day and were soon joined by thousands of supporters and opposers, including the KKK.

Franklin McCain said in an interview earlier this month despite the chaos around him he was never afraid.

"I wasn't afraid because I was too angry to be afraid. If I were lucky I would be carted off to jail for a long long time. If I were not so lucky I would be going back to my campus in a pine box.

Woolworths de-segregated six months later. The Greensboro Four inspired sit-ins in 78 cities across the south and motivated other students to become freedom riders.

In fact, many of the supporters who fought for change here in Greensboro were A&T, Bennet College and Dudley High school students.