Greensboro Sit-Ins By: Christian Gaulke
People Involved
Demographics
- Sit-Ins comprised mainly people of color participating in them
Important People
- Ezell Blair Jr.
- David Richmond
- Franklin McCain
- Joseph McNeil
- All were students from North Carolina Agriculture and Technology college
Their Impact
- They were the "Greensboro Four" who started the Sit-Ins influenced by non-violent protest techniques practiced by Mohandas Gandhi.
Obstacles
- Many protesters arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct, or disturbing the peace
- Also many protesters had been harassed by white people and were often called names or had things thrown at them
How did they overcome these?
- Protester had overcame the obstacles of the arrest by not putting up a fight which showed they meant no harm for not resisting
- Protester had overcame the obstacles of being harassed by just ignoring them and not starting fights and to their protests non-violent
Out Come
The impact the Sit-Ins have today
- Made people recognize the fact they can still protest without violence or even with out talking
Lasting Effects of the Sit-Ins
- A lasting effect is that the southern states had removed segregation policies in public places throughout the south.
- Another lasting effect is that students came together to form the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Modern Inequality/Injustice Today
- Today there is inequality with Native American treaty rights, especially involving the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in the Standing Rock Reservation
- The tribes that own the reservation had their treaty rights taken away from them so the government could have a oil pipeline built that would run right through it and the tribes got no say in it at all.
How the DAPL protest is similar to Sit-Ins
Similarities
- Both protests involved people staying in one place and not leaving until the problem they were fighting for would be resolved.
Differences
- The DAPL protest had escalated to the point of violence while the Sit-Ins remained non-violent though out
- The DAPL protest didn't involve protesters being silent like the Greensboro Sit-Ins protesters. DAPL protesters spoke out against the pipeline frequently.
Sources:
- History.com Staff. (2010). The Greensboro Sit-In. Retrieved May 01, 2017from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/the-greensboro-sit-in?scrlybrkr=274ab716