Sit-Ins

Sixty years ago, on February 1, 1960, the first sit-ins took place in Greensboro, North Carolina, that launched a southern wide movement. From February to April 1960, over 70 communities experienced sit-ins. By the end of the year, over 70,000 students had participated in sit?ins or in other forms of nonviolent direct action. The first sit-ins were held in Little Rock by Philander Smith College students on March 10, 1960, at the F. W. Woolworth’s store at 4th and Main Streets. Five students were arrested. It was the beginning of a long struggle to desegregate downtown facilities that lasted until 1963. You can find out more about the sit-ins in Little Rock and the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail in downtown Little Rock, by downloading the Arkansas Civil Rights History Tour app.