Recognizing the significance of the Greensboro Four sit-in during Black History Month.
This is a non-binding House Resolution (H. Res. 95) recognizing the Greensboro Four sit-in and its place in Black History Month. The measure commemorates the 65th anniversary of the February 1, 1960, protest at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, and highlights the actions of the Greensboro Four—Joseph McNeil, Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair Jr.), Franklin McCain, and David Richmond—along with student supporters from Bennett College and Greensboro Women’s College. The resolution notes the sit-ins helped catalyze nationwide student activism, contributed to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and ultimately led to the integration of the Woolworth lunch counter on July 26, 1960. It also emphasizes the ongoing importance of nonviolent direct action and encourages states to include the Greensboro Four’s history in educational curricula. As a resolution, it does not create new law or funding; instead, it expresses the House’s recognition and intent to educate and inspire through historical remembrance and nonviolent civic participation.
Key Points
- 1Recognizes the Greensboro Four (McNeil, Khazan, McCain, Richmond) and their role in sparking a broader nonviolent movement in the civil rights era.
- 2Highlights that the sit-ins helped mobilize college students and contributed to the formation of SNCC.
- 3Emphasizes the peaceful, six-month nature of the protests and the widespread reach (tens of thousands of participants, including both White and Black individuals) with over 3,000 arrests.
- 4Notes the integration of the Woolworth Lunch Counter on July 26, 1960.
- 5Encourages, as part of Black History Month, states to incorporate the Greensboro Four’s history and contributions into educational curricula; frames sit-ins as an enduring, nonviolent method for social change.