Lunch Counter Sit-Ins
Four college students sparked a nationwide movement by sitting at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro on February 1, 1960. They returned daily despite harassment, food dumped on their heads, and arrest threats. The protest spread to 55 cities across 13 states within months. Student activists practiced nonviolent discipline as angry mobs confronted them. White supporters joined some protests. Business owners eventually relented as boycotts hurt their profits.
