TITLE
Title
RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND COMMEMORATING THE GREENSBORO AND HIGH POINT SIT-INS
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston
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RESOLUTION
Resolution
WHEREAS, the Civil Rights Movement stands as one of the most transformative periods in American history, marked by the courageous efforts of ordinary citizens who demanded justice, equality, and full citizenship for African Americans through nonviolent action; and
WHEREAS, hidden figures throughout North Carolina played a pivotal role in advancing the Civil Rights Movement, particularly through the brave actions of students and community members who challenged racial segregation and discrimination in public accommodations; and
WHEREAS, on February 1, 1960, four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond, launched the historic Greensboro sit-ins at the Woolworth’s lunch counter, igniting a youth-led movement that rapidly spread across the South and the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Greensboro sit-ins demonstrated the power of disciplined, nonviolent protest and directly contributed to the desegregation of lunch counters, retail establishments, and public spaces, helping to accelerate national momentum toward civil rights legislation; and
WHEREAS, on February 11, 1960, the City of High Point also emerged as a vital site of civil rights activism, where 26 William Penn High School students, who were inspired by the A&T Greensboro Four, staged a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter. Clergy and local residents organized and participated in sit-ins, marches, and boycotts to confront segregation and secure equal access to public accommodations and employment opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the sit-ins and related actions in High Point reflected the same courage, resilience, and moral clarity that defined the broader Civil Rights Movement, reinforcing the inter...
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