A Lunch Counter in Greensboro by Cora Wandel
In 1960 four black college freshmen walked into a Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina and quietly sat down at the lunch counter. They were refused service because of the color of their skin, but they refused to leave and stayed until closing time. The next morning they came back with twenty-five more students. On the third day the sit-in consisted of sixty-three students, and they were still refused service. On the following day three white female students joined them, and by the fifth day Woolworth had more than three hundred demonstrators at the store. The next day the company said they were willing to negotiate, but only token changes were made which further infuriated the students and the sit-ins resumed. The city of Greensboro retaliated by adopting more stringent segregation policies and forty-five students participating in the sit-ins were arrested and charged with trespassing. By this time the black population was so enraged they launched a massive boycott of stores with segregated lunch counters and sales dropped by a third, forcing the store owners to relent. Six months from the very first sit-in, the four freshmen who started it all returned to the Woolworth’s lunch counter and were finally served. This is a photograph of the four seats and the counter they sat at in the Woolworth store. It is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Source: www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/educate/lunch.html
Camera: Canon Rebel XTi 400D
Tags
black, students, 1960, greensboro, north carolina, african american, lunch counter, civil rights, sit in
Comments
It’s a sad story of the past Cora and a great picture to remember!
Thank you Anne-Marie!
– Cora Wandel
what a gorgeous photo of such a sad time..
Thank you Isa!
– Cora Wandel
Wow Cora. This has so much power to it. I remember this junk going on in the 60’s. Such a history this country has, and sometimes not a very nice one. This photo is a great shot and I apprectiate you sharing the story
Thank you!
– Cora Wandel
Lovely shot Cora.
Thank you John!
– Cora Wandel
Sad story but a positive outcome thankyou for sharing it with us Cora
Thank you Rob!
– Cora Wandel
Lunch counters make great compositions!
Thank you for your comment Chipper!
– Cora Wandel
This is the kind of shots I just walk by and you take. And that is why you get featured on the home page and I don’t! LOL. Great shot Cora.—Steve
Thank you Steve!
– Cora Wandel
CORA MY FRIEND. IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I VISITED YOUR PROFILE AND WHEN I SAW YOUR COMPLIMENTS ON MY PHOTOART, I FELT LIKE I HAD TO COME SEE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO. THIS IS A GREAT SHOT WITH A VERY POWERFUL HISTORICAL STORY BEHIND IT. I LIKE TAKING THESE KIND OF SHOTS, BECAUSE I KNOW AND YOU KNOW THAT ONE DAY THEY CAN BE AN HISTORICAL IMAGE IN SOMEONES MUSEUM OR ART GALLERY. I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK, IF YOU GO THERE AGAIN, AND I’M SURE YOU WILL, COULD YOU GET A SHOT OF THE FOUR SEATS AND COUNTER TOP,,,,CAMERA POSITION,,ABOUT FOUR FEET BACK AWAY FROM THE RIGHT SEAT, POINTING TOWARDS THE LEFT WITH THE COUNTER TOP RUNNING RIGHT TO LEFT AWAY FROM THE LENS AND NOT SHOWING THE SINK? I JUST SAW THAT IMAGE IN MY MIND WHEN I SAW THIS SHOT. I THINK THAT MIGHT MAKE A MORE POWERFUL SHOT TO GO ALONG WITH SUCH A POWERFUL STORY AND HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. I DON’T HAVE ANY IMAGES OF COUNTRY HISTORY, BUT I’VE GOT SEVERAL SHOTS OF CALIFORNIA’S HISTORY MAKING CHANGES. MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS I WILL MAKE A CALENDAR OF MY IMAGES THAT I THINK HAVE MADE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. I HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR. BOB ;)
Bob, I will try your suggestion for a shot when I go there next. As I recall, I had problems with the exhibit and shot it this way, but your suggestion might work.
– Cora Wandel
beautifully captured cora. it was a dark time in the country’s history and i hope we never see the likes of this again.
Thank you again, Michael. I appreciate all your comments!
– Cora Wandel