Woolworth's Sit-In, Jackson MS
Woolworth’s Sit-in
“Woolworth’s variety store was the scene of a pivotal event in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement on May 28, 1963. When three black Tougaloo College students sat down at the white lunch counter seeking service, the nonviolent protesters were attacked by an angry mob. Media and FBI were present; police refused to enter. An integrated group of supporters joined the students. The crowd threw store good and dumped food seasonings on them. The three-hour siege ended when management closed the store.”
This was one of a number of such sit-ins at Woolworth’s and other lunch counters around the country, one of the first was in Greensboro, NC, in 1960.