William H. Frist: “On the afternoon of February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, NC, four college freshmen from North Carolina A&T University…”

“On the afternoon of February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, NC, four college freshmen from North Carolina A&T University changed the course of history. In an act of remarkable bravery, the four teens strode into the downtown Woolworth and sat at the "whites only" lunch counter. They ordered coffee, soda, and donuts, and as they expected, the store refused to serve them. The young men waited in their seats until closing time. They didn't know at the time whether they would be beaten, whether they would be dragged out, whether they would be arrested. But they did know right from wrong and that segregation was an intolerable injustice. The next day the four returned with two classmates. Again, the same order. They attempted to place an order for lunch. Again, the store refused. Each day more and more students joined the Greensboro Four, including white students from nearby colleges. By the end of the week nearly all of those more than 60, 65 seats at the lunch counter were filled. Eventually hundreds of sympathizers filled Greensboro's downtown streets. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was already leading protests in other parts of the South against segregation in schools and on buses, but challenging the segregationist practices of privately owned business was something that was brand new. These four young men had opened a new front on the battle for civil rights. In the next weeks and months the sit-ins spread to department stores, to clothing shops, to restaurants.”