An important part of American history is understanding the struggle for personal freedom through civil rights. The courage of those who stood up to defend their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness helped pave the way for achieving rights and equality. I have always been fascinated and loved learning about the courageous people who stood up and fought for their freedoms, even knowing the consequences could be dire. I chose to visit the International Civil Rights Museum located in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The events that took place at the Woolworths Diner in downtown Greensboro shaped the civil rights movements in North Carolina, but also created a movement across the United States. The four courageous men who sat at the counter at Woolworth's changed not only the course of North Carolina's history, but that of the United States in the fight for civil rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay On February 1, 1960, four African-American students took a stand for civil rights by sitting at a store counter popular retail store in downtown Greensboro. The sit-in of these four men sparked a wave of sit-ins throughout the South and particularly in North Carolina, with sit-ins breaking out in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Durham (Hauman, 2010). On the night of January 31, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond gathered in their freshman dorm for the "Bull Sessions" they had every evening. During Christmas break, Joseph McNeil was returning to NC A&T after spending time at home in New York over the holidays. McNeil was refused service at a Greyhound bus station in Greensboro, after which the three men decided it was time to act, regardless of the consequences ("THE GREENSBORO TIMELINE."). The next day, they sat at the counter of the Woolworths restaurant, a whites-only counter, where they simply asked for a cup of coffee and were refused service. The police arrive on the scene but are unable to take action against the students due to lack of resources (Wright.) Interviews with the men who bravely sat down revealed the terror they were in as they 'sat down, knowing they might be arrested, McNeil. in his interview reveals his fear of going to prison, whether for a day, a week or even a year (Jones, 2004). Additionally, interviews with McNeil reveal an interaction between him and an older white lady. In his interview, he reveals that she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Boys, I'm so proud of you." I only regret that you didn't do it ten years ago. » (Cherry, M.) He reveals how surprised he was by this interaction, but these kind words from an unlikely stranger were, and still are, an inspiration. News of the sit-ins spread quickly, many joined the movement and joined in the sit-ins, others criticized the movement and felt more needed to be done to stop the sit-ins. Newspapers were filled with articles about the sit-ins and their impacts. According to an article written by Marvin Sykes in a local newspaper, he explained how four men sat at the counter while twenty others stood alongside them and how the movement expected to double the next day. The article also reveals that, when asked about the sit-ins, Woolworths director Clarence Harris made nocommentary (Sykes, 1960). The four men stood up to make a difference by sitting at a counter, creating a movement much bigger than they were capable of. In 1993, Guilford County Commissioner Melvin “Skip” Alston and Greensboro City Councilman Earl F. Jones founded Sit-In. Movement, Inc., this was a non-profit organization created to help raise funds to purchase the Woolworth Building to preserve the building in honor of the Greensboro Four (Fransinca, 2005). In 2001, this movement partnered with North Carolina A&T State University to develop the International Civil Rights Museum (February 1). Annual banquets are held to help support and maintain the operation of the museum. The International Civil Rights Museum should be considered important and valuable to all North Carolinians. The actions of these four men and their stories were a spark that ignited the civil rights movement. These everyday African-American students sitting at a white-only desk changed the course of history. This was not the end of promoting equal rights, but it was the beginning of a history of promoting civil rights in North Carolina. This sit-in attracted more and more students from A&T University and even students from Bennett College. On the 42nd anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins, A&T placed a statue of the four men in front of the Dudley Memorial Center. All three men were still alive for its unveiling in hopes that it is still a symbol, change can happen ("NC A&T Remembers 'Greensboro Four' with New Statue", 2002). Additionally, this museum focuses on many of the civil rights movements that were part of the domino effect during the civil rights period. The Woolworths restaurant still houses the section in which the four men were seated, it has not been moved from its original setting. During our tour, our guide was very proud to announce that this was the original trading post and that the Civil Rights Museum is the only place that houses the original trading post. I think the International Civil Rights Museum has done an excellent job of telling the story of civil rights through the Greensboro Four. I was assigned a group leader, Miss Joan, who showed us around the museum, although this museum is in honor of the "Greensboro Four", it took you through the Jim Crow era and segregation who was present at that time. The museum discussed major court cases like Fredrick Scott and Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. The museum focused on the integration of school systems and the resistance that accompanied integration. The museum displayed signs saying things like “Whites Only,” “No People of Color” and “Bathrooms for Whites Only.” This museum did a great job of putting you in the shoes of someone during that time, our speaker gave us the facts and gave us time to read different quotes on the wall to understand and read quotes to gain insight. empathy. Various information was also presented, Miss Joan highlighted important images and artifacts during our tour, videos were shown throughout the tour and different interactive elements. The museum described events such as Ruby Bridges, where a six-year-old African-American woman was integrated into a Southern school, where she had to be escorted into a classroom by U.S. Marshals to avoid being killed. being attacked by violent crowds. The museum discussed the Kuhn Klux Klan and the terror it created during that time. We entered into.