Echoes of History Beautiful Sites Where the World Was Forever Changed

20. The Woolworth Lunch Counter: A Simple Sit-In That Sparked a Movement

On February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina, four Black college students sat down at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and politely asked to be served. When they were denied service, they refused to leave. Their peaceful sit-in sparked a nationwide movement of nonviolent protests against racial segregation in public places. The once-ordinary lunch counter, now part of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, stands as a symbol of courage and resistance, demonstrating how small acts in everyday places can inspire sweeping social change.