They were influenced by the nonviolent protest techniques practiced by Mohandas Gandhi, as well as the Freedom Rides organized by the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) in 1947, in which interracial activists rode across the South in buses to test a recent Supreme Court decision banning segregation in interstate bus travel. As he had been labeled a "troublemaker" for his role in the Greensboro Sit-Ins, life in Greensboro became difficult for Khazan. Eventually, they prevailed, and Woolworths stopped segregating its dining area on July 25th, 1960, Google reports. In 1991, Khazan received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from North Carolina A&T State University. Though many of the protesters were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace, their actions made an immediate and lasting impact, forcing Woolworths and other establishments to change their segregationist policies. Heavy television coverage of the Greensboro sit-ins sparked a sit-in movement that quickly spread to college towns throughout the South and into the North, as young Black and white people joined in various forms of peaceful protest against segregation in libraries, beaches, hotels and other establishments. Ezell Blair Jr. - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core It took months, but on July 25, 1960, the Greensboro Woolworth lunch counter was finally integrated. But they did not move. Today, he is remembered as a hero of the Civil Rights Movement and a symbol of the power of nonviolent resistance to bring about change. See MoreSee Less, Neighborhood children greet Ms. Gibson upon her return to Harlem after winning Wimbledon in 1957 By the end of March 1960, the movement had spread to 55 cities in 13 states. Joseph McNeil Facts for Kids Ezell Blair begins this interview by describing his participation in the Greensboro student sit-in and describes the students Ezell Blair, Stokely Carmichael, Lucy Thornton and Jean Wheeler. Greensboro Four Biography | Infoplease In 1968, he joined the Islamic Center of New England and changed his name to Jibreel Khazan. Its use of nonviolence inspired the Freedom Riders and others to take up the cause of integration in the South, furthering the cause of equal rights in the United States. Ezell A. Blair Jr. was one of the four African American college students who initiated the sit-in protest at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960. Original materials provided by the University of Kentucky and Yale University libraries and digitized with the permission of the Warren estate. He had been a high school track star and was born in Greensboro. The Greensboro Four, as they became known, had also been spurred to action by the brutal murder in 1955 of a young Black boy, Emmett Till, who had allegedly whistled at a white woman in a Mississippi store. He later moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he changed his name to Jibreel Khazan. The Greensboro sit-in was a major moment in the American civil rights movement when young African-American students staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworths lunch counter in North Carolina. In 1959, Khazan graduated from James B. Dudley High School, and entered the A&T College of North Carolina. The protests played a definitive role in the Civil Rights movement because they sparked additional protests, eventually making the movement too large to ignore, Google says. It took months, but on July 25, 1960, the Greensboro Woolworth lunch. Updated: January 29, 2021 | Original: July 28, 2020. Ezell Blair Jr. Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store . On Feb. 1, 1960, freshmen David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan) sat at F.W. Ezell A. Blair Jr. was one of the four African American college students who initiated the sit-in protest at Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960. Blair, Ezell Alexander, 1919-1997 - Civil Rights Digital Library - USG Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of denying service to non-white customers. By the spring of 1960 the sit-in movement spread to 54 cities in nine states in the South. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. At that speech, King called for an escalation of nonviolent protests to end segregated accommodation. July 1, 2020. The four North Carolina A & T students are (L-R): David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr., and Joseph McNeil. By that time, Johns had already alerted the local media, who had arrived in full force to cover the events on television. Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four, a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of Jibreel Khazan (previously Ezell Blair, Jr). Ezell Blair Jr. net worth and salary income estimation Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. All Rights Reserved. After the Greensboro sit-ins, Blair became a prominent civil rights activist and organizer. [4] It was said that when he experienced unjust treatment based on color, he "stood up. Woolworth. In three days, their numbers had swelled to 300. Franklin McCain graduated from A&T with a degree in chemistry and biology. He then went into computer sales and worked as a stockbroker and commercial banker. READ MORE: Civil Rights Movement: A Timeline. Franklin McCain - Wikipedia It was during his freshman year that Khazan and his roommate, Joseph McNeil; along with two other associates, Franklin McCain and David Richmond, devised a plan to protest against the policies of the segregated lunch counter at the downtown Greensboro F. W. Woolworth's store. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Word quickly spread about the Greensboro sit-in, and both North Carolina A&T and Bennett College students took part in the sit-in the next day. Ezell was born on October 18, 1941 in Greensboro, North Carolina.. Ezell is one of the famous and trending celeb who is popular for being a Activist. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The reaction was ugly in the short-term, but in the long-term the protests spread and made real change. After graduating from A&T in 1963, Blair encountered difficulties finding a job in his native Greensboro. He had to move to Massachusetts because the publicity made it difficult to get a job in Greensboro. WATCH: The Civil Rights Movement on HISTORY Vault. Ezell Blair Jr. was the son of a teacher who received his B.S. Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of Digital archive created and designed by the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. Recommended Citation. Denied service, the four young men refused to give up their seats. Hudgens had participated in the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation against racial segregation on interstate buses. "[5] Khazan also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class Were preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights.[1], He was also influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. Joseph Alfred McNeil (born March 25, 1942) is a retired major general in the United States Air Force who is best known for being a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's At the end of July, when many local college students were on summer vacation, the Greensboro Woolworths quietly integrated its lunch counter. One member of the Greensboro Four, Joseph McNeil, resolved to integrate lunch counters after a 1959 trip to New York, a city where he hadnt encountered Jim Crow laws. The university. The Greensboro sit-in wasnt a random act of rebellion, but the result of months of planning. They also worked with the NAACP to get the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed. In 1958, Khazan heard King speak at the local Bennett College. Ezell Blair, Sr. and his wife, Corene, were the parents of Jibreel Khazan, (Ezell A. Blair Jr.) one of the four North Carolina A&T State University students who participated in the first sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro on February 1, 1960. All Rights Reserved. They refused to leave when denied service and stayed until the store closed. Led by four North Carolina A&T Students - Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Jibreel Khazan (then Ezell Blair, Jr.) and David Richmond, the nonviolent protests lasted over five months. TV Shows. By simply remaining in their seats peacefully and quietly, they flummoxed the staff and left them unsure on how to enforce their whites-only rule. The Greensboro Four were four young Black men who staged the first sit-in at Greensboro: Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil. It is reported that as a nine-year-old he boasted to friends that he would one day drink from the white peoples fountains and eat at their lunch counters. Blair was the most uncertain of the four who decided to stage the Woolworth protest, and recalls calling his parents to ask their advice. His father was a member of the NAACP and very vocal on the subject of racial injustices and "things naturally rubbed off on me", described Khazan in a 1974 interview. All four were students from North. He attended law school at Howard University for almost a year before a variety of maladies forced him out. They waited some more. He never strayed very far from the example of his parents, who were active in the civil rights movement, or the lessons of the people he had known as a child growing up in the south. In 1968, he joined the Islamic Center of New England and changed his name to Jibreel Khazan. in sociology from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in 1963. As the week unfolded, dozens of young people, including students from the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, flocked to lunch counters and asked to be served. The Greensboro sit-in took place in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has echoes of Rosa Parks and other symbolic moments that eventually helped end segregation in the United States. By Birth Year | By Birth Month | By Death Year | By Death Month | Random, Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright. In 1963, Khazan graduated from A&T College with a Bachelor's degree in sociology and Social Studies. The four men who were denied service at a Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina, pose in front of the store on February 1, 1990. Khazan works with developmentally disabled people for the CETA program in New Bedford, Mass. From left to right: Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair, Jr.), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeill, and David Richmond. Movies. The white waiter refused and suggested they order a take-out meal from the "stand-up" counter. They waited. In 1991, Khazan received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from North Carolina A&T State University. They told him to do what he must and to carry himself with dignity and grace. [3] His father was a member of the NAACP and very vocal on the subject of racial injustices and "things naturally rubbed off on me", described Khazan in a 1974 interview. One of the original Greensboro Four who took part in the Woolworth sit-ins. King's words had made a huge impact with Khazan, so much so that he later remarked that "he could feel his heart palpitating" and that the words of King "brought tears to his eyes. Khazan also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class Were preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights., He was also influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. According to History.com, they sat down and refused to leave, after having been denied service because of their race. He was captivated as King addressed the audience in attendance. This was a forerunner to the 1961 Freedom Rides, just as the 1942 sit-in at the Jack Spratt Coffee House in Chicago was a forerunner to the Greensboro sit-in of 1960. GREENSBORO Civil rights leader Franklin McCain has died. He attended law school at Howard University for almost a year before a variety of maladies forced him out. [12], "Civil Rights Greensboro: Jibreel Khazan", University of North Carolina at Greensboro, "Jibreel Khazan (Formerly Ezell Blair Jr.)", "Oral History Interview with Jibreel Khazan by William Chafe:: Civil Rights Greensboro", "Ezell Blair, Stokely Carmichael, Lucy Thornton and Jean Wheeler | Who Speaks for the Negro? Ezell A. Blair, Jr. | Who Speaks for the Negro? - Vanderbilt University As of 2018 Ezell Blair is 76 years years old. Ezell A. Blair, Jr. was born on October 18, 1941 and is 81 years old now. Four Black Woolworths employeesGeneva Tisdale, Susie Morrison, Anetha Jones and Charles Bestwere the first to be served. McCain's death left Ezell Blair (now Jibreel Khazan) and Joseph McNeil as the two surviving members of the Greensboro Four. When four Black students refused to move from a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in 1960, nation-wide student activism gained momentum. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. To capitalize on the momentum of the sit-in movement, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 1960. After nearly a week of protests, approximately 1,400 students showed up to the Greensboro Woolworth to demonstrate. They also took inspiration from civil rights causes of years earlier, including the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till and the Montgomery bus boycott. They mean that young people are going to be one of the major driving forces in terms of how the civil rights movement is going to unfold., Listen to HISTORY This Week Podcast: Sitting in For Civil Rights. It was during his freshman year that Khazan and his roommate, Joseph McNeil; along with two other associates, Franklin McCain and David Richmond, devised a plan to protest against the policies of the segregated lunch counter at the downtown Greensboro F. W. Woolworth's store. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. The Greensboro Four were four young Black men who staged the first sit-in at Greensboro: Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil. A look at one of the defining social movements in U.S. history, told through the personal stories of men, women and children who lived through it. He also has worked with the AFL/CIO Trade Council in Boston, the Opportunities Industrialization Center, and at the Rodman Job Corps Center. The four students were inspired by the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., and they believed that peaceful direct action was the best way to bring about change. Greensboro Sit-In: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Greensboro sit-in, act of nonviolent protest against a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, that began on February 1, 1960. He majored in business administration and accounting and became a counselor-coordinator for the CETA program in Greensboro. Four years later, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would mandate all businesses to desegregate. Jan 27, 2020. A&T Four: A Closer Look | Digital Collections | North Carolina Eventually the manager closed the store early and the men leftwith the rest of the customers. The protests and the subsequent events were major milestones in the Civil Rights Movement. His breaking point was when he was not served a hot dog at the Greensboro bus terminal, according to Carolina Theatre.