Courage at the Greensboro Lunch Counter

On this day in 1960 four young African-American students at the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina entered the Greensboro Woolworth’s and sat down on stools that had been reserved exclusively for white customers. Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil and David Richmond were refused service. But they did not get up and leave. Their courageous 6 month protest led to social change in America.

(Jack Moebes / Corbis)

In October 1993 the Greensboro Woolworth’s was closing and it was decided that an eight-foot section with four stools would be moved to the Smithsonian in Washington. I finally saw it last year and took the photo below.

More: Smithsonian