Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina’s place in history was marked on February 1, 1960, when four African-American college students sat down at a “whites only” lunch counter inside the Greensboro Woolworth’s restaurant and requested to be served. After being denied and asked to leave, the students stood their ground and remained in their seats, igniting a youth-led movement that challenged racial inequality throughout the South. This nonviolent sit-in served as a major milestone of the Civil Rights Movement and quickly inspired sit-in demonstrations across the country. Today, the old Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro is home to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, one of North Carolina’s top attractions.
For those looking to honor the history and ongoing efforts of the African-American experience during Black History Month and the rest of 2019, Greensboro-High Point offers numerous historic sites and events.
Guilford College Underground Railroad
Visitors can experience how African-Americans seeking freedom navigated in the woods of the Guilford College campus with assistance from free and enslaved African-Americans and European-American allies. The trail leads to a popular tulip tree that is more than 300 years old and known as the Underground Railroad Tree.
African American Atelier
Located at the Greensboro Cultural Center, the African American Atelier strives to promote an awareness and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of African-Americans through this art gallery focusing on African-American art and artists in Greensboro.
The World Through a City – African American History
Visitors to the Greensboro History Museum will discover the story of Ned Griffin, a slave who won his freedom fighting in the Revolutionary War to the story of Judge Elreta Alexander-Ralston, the first African-American female judge elected to the bench in the United States. The museum highlights the impact that African-Americans have made both locally and nationally.
Photos courtesy of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.
