Remember When: Coal was King and Coke was Queen

On Saturday, February 1st, Dr. Kelton Edmonds will launch the Westmoreland Historical Society’s celebration of Black History Month with a presentation on the 1960 Sit-in Movement.

February 1, 2025, marks the 65th anniversary of the launch of the historic Sit-in Movement, by four African American freshmen from North Carolina Architectural & Technical State College (now University) in Greensboro, NC. This simple act sparked the non-violent and student-led wave of protests that ultimately resulted in the desegregation of F.W. Woolworth and other racially discriminatory businesses. The brave freshmen from NCA&T, who were later adorned with the iconic label of the “Greensboro Four,” were David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan). On February 1, 1960, the Greensboro Four bought items at Woolworth’s, then sat at the ‘white-only’ lunch counter and refused to leave until they were served. Although waitresses refused to serve them, in accordance with the store’s racist policies, the four continued their protest and in the following days and weeks were joined by more students from other nearby colleges and high schools. By April, the protests that flooded the lunch counters of the segregated store spread to other cities throughout the South, involving thousands of Black student activists and sympathizers. The coordinated demonstrations put insurmountable pressure on Woolworth’s, as it became nearly impossible for regular customers to purchase items, eat at the lunch counters, or even enter the store. With the possibility of facing bankruptcy, F.W. Woolworth acquiesced and desegregated all of its lunch counters throughout the nation by the end of the summer of 1960.

Over 50,000 Black students and sympathizers participated in the sit-ins of 1960. As historian Clayborne Carson highlighted, “Nonviolent tactics, particularly when accompanied by rationale based on Christian principles, offered black students…a sense of moral superiority, an emotional release through militancy, and a possibility of achieving desegregation.” Soon after the sit-ins began, students realized their collective prowess, and their activism helped to define the decade of the 60s that forced monumental political, legal, and social changes throughout the nation. Students cemented their place in one of America’s most significant traditions, the protest tradition, which has continuously defined and propelled our country since its inception.

Dr. Edmonds will examine the layers, legacies, and significance of this monumental movement through his interactive discussion.

This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended by calling 724-836-1800 x212.