On February 1, 1960, four Black students from North Carolina A&T State University—Ezell Blair Jr. (later Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond—initiated a sit-in protest at Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, challenging racial segregation at lunch counters.

These teenagers, later known as the Greensboro Four, bought small items to appear as paying customers before sitting at the segregated lunch counter and refusing to leave when denied service, sparking a wave of similar protests across the South.

Despite facing harassment, verbal abuse, and occasional arrests, the nonviolent protests gained national sympathy, with President Dwight D. Eisenhower affirming the legality of such demonstrations.

The protests attracted substantial media attention and spread to other cities, involving increasing numbers of students and supporters, and emphasizing the peaceful stance of the protesters.

A store manager's journal reveals his conflicted views; he had removed segregation signs from Woolworth's restrooms and water fountains three years earlier, yet segregation persisted elsewhere in the city.

The children of the Greensboro Four recognized the importance of their fathers' actions, influenced by media coverage like  Minutes, with Franklin McCain Jr. recalling a visit from Barbara Walters as a pivotal moment.

The four students became symbols of peaceful protest and catalysts for social change, inspiring similar actions nationwide and earning the nickname the A&T Four to highlight their university affiliation.

Civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. publicly supported the Greensboro sit-ins after a meeting arranged by NAACP officials, boosting the movement's momentum.

Black workers, including Geneva Tisdale, who worked behind the counter, saw the sit-ins as a step toward equality, challenging the system of segregation.

Following the protests, each member of the A&T Four pursued different paths: Khazan became a teacher and community leader, McCain worked in science and remained active in civil rights organizations until his death in 2014, McNeil served as a Major General in the U.S. Air Force and passed away in 2025, and Richmond struggled with his education and died of lung cancer in 1990.

It took six months before African-Americans were finally served at Woolworth's and other downtown Greensboro restaurants, with Geneva Tisdale, Susie Morrison, Anetha Jones, and Charles Best being the first Black customers served at the counter.

The sit-ins contributed significantly to the desegregation of Woolworth's and other public accommodations, culminating in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, marking a major victory in the Civil Rights Movement.