Greensboro 4
Wilmington Race Riots
Who were the Greensboro 4 ?
The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in 1960 which led to the Woolworth's department store chain reversing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States.
Who or what was the Wilmington Race Riots?
African American voters turned out in large numbers for the election of 1898. However, the Democrats who favored white supremacy stuffed the ballot boxes and won the election. Two days after the election, violence erupted into the “Wilmington Race Riot.” About 500 white men had assembled at the armory, and Waddell lead them to the Daily Record office several blocks away. The crowd following Waddell grew to about 2,000 people as they moved across town.
What happen during the Wilmington Race Riot?
During what is now called the Wilmington Race Riot, a mob set Alex Manly’s newspaper office on fire, and tensions between African Americans and whites exploded.The whites demanded that Manly and his newspaper cease to publish and that Manly be banned from the community. Manly escaped from Wilmington because he was mistakenly thought to be white. African Americans armed themselves and whites began to hunt and gun them down. The mob of whites included clergymen, lawyers, bankers, and merchants who all believed that they were asserting their rights as citizens.
What happen the next day after the Riot ended and after Alex Manly's office caught fire?
When the riot ended the next day, it was reported that twenty-five African Americans had been killed. However, it was strongly suspected that hundreds of African Americans had been killed and their bodies dumped into the river. In addition, hundreds of African Americans were banished from the city of Wilmington. This event, the Wilmington Race Riot, marked a turning point in North Carolina’s history because more restrictions were placed on African American voters.
What was the Greensboro sit-ins?
While not the first sit-ins of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Greensboro sit-ins were an instrumental action, leading to increased national sentiment at a crucial period in US history.[2] The primary event took place at the Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth's store, now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.
What was the impact on the Greensboro Four?
Despite sometimes violent reaction to the sit-ins, these demonstrations eventually led to positive results. For example, the sit-ins received significant media and government attention. When the Woolworth's sit-in began, the Greensboro newspaper published daily articles on the growth and impact of the demonstration. The sit-ins made headlines in other cities as well, as the demonstrations spread throughout the Southern states. A Charlotte newspaper published an article on February 9, 1960, describing the state-wide sit-ins and the resulting closures of dozens of lunch counters.[10] Furthermore, on March 16, 1960, President Eisenhower supported the students and expressed his sympathy for those who were fighting for their human and civil rights. President Eisenhower expressed his concern, saying that he was: "deeply sympathetic with the efforts of any group to enjoy the rights of quality that they are guaranteed by the Constitution."