Sit-In's

A Sit in is a person or a group of people who stay in a certain area for a certain cause and will not leave that area until by the use of force. Sit-In's mainly started back in the early 60's, back when the civil rights movement was going on.

The Greensboro Sit-in
One of the most famous sit-ins is known as the Greensboro Sit-in. The Greensboro Sit-in was recorded to have started on February 1st 1960. Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr. and David Richmond, who have been nicknamed The Greensboro Four, entered F.W. Woolworth store, a white-only bar, in Greensboro, N.C., around 4:30 P.M. The four sat at the counter and asked for coffee, which was denied, yet the four sat there quietly and patiently, even after threats were yelled at them. Thus the Greensboro Sit-In was born; The rules were simple, sit quietly and wait to be served. Often those who would do sit-ins would be threated, yelled at, and would even get spoons and food thrown at them. Onlookers tried to start fights with sit-in participants but never got one. If a participant would be attacked, they would curl up in a ball and let themselves get beat. This, in a way, is just like how Gandhi and his followers took beatings from the British-ruled India at the time. If a participant attacked back, it would ruin the entire sit-in, but nobody ever fought back, however when the police arrived to take the current participants away, others would just take their place.

Reasons for Sit-ins
The sit-in organizers thought that if the world would only see the violence coming from the "whites", the world would see the "righteousness" for their cause.

Victory
Before the end of the school year, over 1,500 black demonstrators were arrested. But their arrests were not for nothing, as it brought results. Slowly but surely other southern restaurants began to remove their rules on segregation.

The SNCC and CORE
SNCC and CORE stand for Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Congress on Racial Equality, they are groups that were formed by some students from the north and south after Martin Luther King Jr sponsored a conference to discuss the issues at hand. The SNCC was formed by Stokely Carmichael and Fannie Lou Hamer, whereas the CORE was led by James Farmer. These two groups were just the roots of the giant tree for future sit-ins, Wade-ins (In the water but not swimming) at white-only pools, and pray-ins at white-only churches.

Peaceful Protesting
(Might Need Future Editing)

Do you have or want something to be changed, such as laws or wanting construction near you to stop? What about to save the local wildlife? Whatever the problem there are ways to get what you want peacefully!

1. Picket Signs. A Picket Sign is where you stick a small white cardboard onto a piece of paper and it says a few things about the cause your "fighting" for. Normally people who do this are called "Picketers" and are mostly non-violent. What you do is to stand in an area with your sign and either say a line with a group of people over and over or stand their quietly.

2. Standing Still. Let's say for example your fighting to stop a forest from being destroyed near your home. Well, what you can do is just go to the construction site and stand there. Not doing anything but stand. And if your asked to leave, refuse, because it is not illegal to stand on land. If the cops are called, stay still and let them arrest you (If they do).

Never fight for something alone unless you are sure you can make a difference alone, if not, then try telling your classmates, teachers, parents, and other people about your cause; eventually your cause will catch on. In the words of Helen Keller "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." And it's true... work with your friends who believe in your cause and it can get you far.

Works Cited/Other Links to Learn

 * USHistory.org


 * Greensboro Sit-ins Website


 * International Civil Rights Center and Museum