The white waitress pointed to the other side of the counter, where there was no seating. All programs, events and meeting room bookings are canceled until further notice. In 1960, four young black men sat down at a segregated greensboro. Throughout the southern states, these lunch counters were either racially segregated or simply did not serve black customers. The greensboro sitin begins zinn education project. Schmidt offers a new account of the crucial civil rights protest inspired by the first sitin by four college students in greensboro, north carolina, in 1960. Organizers agreed to spread the sitin protests to include the lunch counter at greensboros kress store.
The greensboro sitins facts in the era before walmart, many five and dime stores in america had lunch counters that served basic deli and cafeteria style food. This website had very many aspects about the greensboro sit in, and it provided us with helpful primary sources, and. Directaction sitins made public what jim crow wanted to hideblack resistance to segregation. When the woolworth sitin began, the greensboro newspaper published daily articles on the growth and impact of the demonstration.
Foodrelated wordplay adds layers to the free verse, as in the lines about the protesters recipe for integration. Focusing on the legal issues and constitutional challenges posed by the sitin movement, the book is a valuable and accessible tool for students and. The sitins at a woolworths lunch counter in greensboro launched the passive resistance phase of the civil rights revolution. In my future classroom, i would use this book for a civil rights movement week where i could teach the students about that movement, and how these people made a difference in. Explain that while the story is fiction, the greensboro sitins were real, so this book combines fiction and history. This north carolina store preserves a historic moment in americas movement for racial equality. We need more of these books told for the younger set. Ask them to explain the difference between fiction and nonfiction. The greensboro sitins paperback december 27, 2007 by carole boston weatherford author. How four friends stood up by sitting down jane addams. The greensboro sitins inspired a mass movement across the south.
Freedom on the menu, by carole boston weatherford, is a historical fiction childrens book that tells the story of the greensboro sitins. The greensboro sitin protests, explained teen kids news. Sitins in greensboro negroes get food at the other end. The greensboro sitins from the worlds largest community of readers. As early as one week after the greensboro sitin had begun, students in other north carolina towns launched their own sitins. Before the sitins began in greensboro, people in the city were already fighting to tear down white supremacist laws and practices in the southern state. In 1960, like many establishments across the south, woolworths department store in greensboro accepted money from black customers but expected them to leave the storethe seats were for. The greensboro sitins, carole boston weatherfords poignant picture book on the greensboro lunch counter. Ourstory is a series of modules designed by the smithsonians national museum of american history to help children and adults enjoy exploring history. The greensboro sitins were a series of nonviolent protests in february to july 1960, primarily in the woolworth store, now the international civil rights center and museum, in greensboro, north carolina, which led to the f. Technical state university sat at a whiteonly lunch counter inside a greensboro, north carolina woolworths store. Demonstrations spread to towns near greensboro, including winstonsalem, durham, raleigh, and charlotte. The greensboro sitin was a critical turning point in black history and american history, bringing the fight for civil rights to the national stage. Sitin is an informational book about the greensboro four who fought for segregation during the civil rights movement.
Leveled reading passages supporting freedom on the menu. Greensboro sitin, act of nonviolent protest against a segregated lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina, that began on february 1, 1960. Somebody wanted but so then, character setting problem and solution, and beginning middle end. Its success led to a wider sitin movement, organized by the student nonviolent coordinating committee, that spread throughout the south. So why a book on the 1960 student lunch counter sitins. Books on black history are on display at the entrance to smith library as well as the school of education resource center.
The greensboro sit ins were a series of nonviolent protests in february to july 1960, primarily in the woolworth store, now the international civil rights center and museum, in greensboro, north carolina, which led to the f. To see an interactive version of this reading passage or a nonformatted pdf, see the. Its website includes all the information you need to plan a visit. Protest and legal change in the civil rights era, christopher w. While sitins had been held elsewhere in the united states, the greensboro sitin catalyzed a wave of nonviolent protest against privatesector segregation. It reminded me of the picture book, the day when gogo went to vote. After reading the book to the students, engage them in class discussion. This pdf has been formatted with the beeline reader tool. Historical fiction in an upper elementary picture book about the greensboro sitins. The greensboro sitins this is a book companion pack for the book. Add or remove collections home civil rights greensboro page 1 reference url share. This picture book is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous woolworths lunch counter sitin, when four college students staged a peaceful.
Early elementary school, late elementary school genre. By april 1960, 70 southern cities had sitins of their own. The greensboro sitins written by carole boston weatherford and illustrated by jerome lagarrigue lagarrigue there were signs all throughout town telling eightyearold connie where she could and could not go. The greensboro sitins took place in a downtown woolworths store and that building is now the international civil rights center and museum. This set of leveled reading passages can be used to supplement the book freedom on the menu. Students sit for civil rights is an ourstory module that includes activities based on reading freedom on the memu, a work of childrens literature about the greensboro sitins that played an important role during the civil rights movement. The sitins made headlines in other cities as well, as the demonstrations spread throughout the southern states.
This book gave us a general idea of who the greensboro four were. Site of the woolworth lunch counter sitin greensboro. Book on sitins is a most compelling read freedom forum institute. The greensboro sitins by carole boston weatherford based on the childrens book by carole boston weatherford, illustrated by jerome lagariggue dial press, 2005 characters note distinguishing costumes andor props narrator connie 8 years old hair ribbon, paintbrush and miniature flag daddy newspaper. By directly challenging segregation in highly visible places, activists grabbed the. Discover site of the woolworth lunch counter sitin in greensboro, north carolina. Deena hayesgreene, chair of the board of directors of the international civil rights center and museum, visits the woolworths counter that sparked the greensboro sitins in 1960.
A detailed account of the sitin at a woolworths lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina, in 1960, which ignited the civil rights movement in the united states. The greensboro sitins, carole boston weatherfords poignant picture book on the greensboro lunch counter sitins that began on february 1, 1960. We also have the following titles about the greensboro sitins. This beautifully illustrated book details the famous sitin at the greensboro, nc woolworths counter in 1960. This photograph of the woolworth sitins in greensboro appeared on the front page of the feb. Woolworth company department store chain removing its policy of racial segregation in the southern united states. Graced by the art of awardwinning illustrator jerome lagarrique, the story is told from the point of view of a fictitious young girl who sees these events through the actions of her older brother and. The sitins at woolworths, 1960 greensboro library, nc. This book tells the story of what happened in greensboro. I began to think about the sitins as an intriguing topic for a legal historian in my third year of law school. Please click here for more information on the libraries department response to covid19 and other helpful resources. The greensboro sitins written by carole boston weatherford and illustrated by jerome lagarrigue lagarrigue but when connie sees four young men take a stand for equal rights at a woolworths lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina, she realizes that things may soon change. To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, im or document to embed the entire object, paste this html in website to link to this page. Its website includes all the information you need to plan a visit also, explore the greensboro sitins in the north carolina collection of the greensboro library, housed at the central library, 219 n.