Public Art - Birthplace of Civil Rights Movement

On February 1, 1960 four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University began a sit-in at the Woolworth's department store, at a lunch counter that, like many in the South, would not serve Negro customers except for take-out orders. After their classes, the four young men (Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Ezell Blair) entered Woolworth's, made some purchases, and at 4:30, took seats at the counter and politely placed orders for cherry pie à la mode and coffee. When the waitress told them they couldn't be served, they stayed until closing time. The next morning, 20 students came to Woolworth's and began taking up seats as they became available. By Wednesday, the sit-ins were national news, and the next week, spread to other cities. By summer, most chain stores ended their whites-only policy.