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4 welcomed this time
Woolworth serves up
anniversary breakfast
Back at the COUnter again Greensboro, N.C., Friday, February 1, 1980
Woolworth Vice President Aubrey C. Lewis stands behind lunch
counter this morning during commemorative breakfast. The
original participants at the counter are, from left to right, Jo-
BY~JO SPIVEY
Record Staff Writer
From the size of the crowd, it could have been February 1960 at the Woolworth lunch counter this morning, except the faces weren't hostile and the talk was
friendly.
The occasion was breakfast for Jibreel Khazan
(Ezell Blair Jr.), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil and
Franklin McCain, who as A&T State University freshmen launched the sit-ins that triggered the 1960s civil
rights movement.
They were back at the invitation of the store that
refused to serve them 20 years ago today. Woolworth
vice president, Aubrey C. Lewis of New York, was behind the counter taking their breakfast orders. But no
one got to eat.
On hand were reporters, cameramen and talk show
hosts from across the nation who kept the four men
busy with questions of their recollections of 20 years
ago, their philosophies, and their views of what still
needs to be accomplished in the area of civil rights.
Khazan, who adopted an Islamic name several
years ago, was in white robes and turban. He ordered a
banana and warm water, but he ate only half the banana.
"That's the first time I've heard of that breakfast,"
said Lewis, "but it's on the menu from now on."
seph McNeU, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Jibreel
Khazan, formerly Ezell Blair Jr., who returned for the anniversary of the original sit-in.
A waitress, recognized as one who had been employed at the store 20 years ago, termed the event
"really something, a real change" from the way things
were during the sit-in era.
The breakfast also was a reunion for the four with
Ralph Johns of Hollywood, Calif., formerly an East
Market Street merchant and civil rights advocate, who
was an adviser to the young men 20 years ago.
Asked about his thoughts as he sat at the counter
today, McNeil said he feels "very positive" about the
20th anniversary observance.
"Particularly do I feel good about the fact that it
was planned by a cross section of the community," he
said. "It is extremely encouraging to see diverse elements come together like this. It is truly a high moment."
The event was among those sponsored by the Feb.
1 Committee, a group of citizens organized last October
to commemorate the sit-ins.
If he had it to do over, would he still have taken
part in the sit-in movement? McNeil was asked.
"Yes, yes, indeed," said McNeil. "I'm proud to
have played a part, but I think there still is a great deal
to be done."
The three other men echoed McNeil's statement.
"I view it, however, as a separate thing from Frank
Object Description
| Title | Woolworth serves up anniversary breakfast |
| Date | 1980-02-01 |
| Creator | Spivey, Jo Jones |
| Contributors | Nicholson, Dave |
| Subject headings | Greensboro Sit-ins, Greensboro, N.C., 1960;Greensboro Massacre, Greensboro, N.C., 1979 |
| Topics | Greensboro Massacre, 1979;Business desegregation and sit-ins, 1960 |
| Place | Greensboro (N.C.) |
| Description |
In this February 1, 1980 Greensboro Record article, Jo Spivey reports on a breakfast served at the Woolworth store lunch counter on the twentieth anniversary of the sit-ins. Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair, Jr.), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain (aka the Greensboro Four) were served breakfast at the lunch counter where twenty years earlier they had begun a sit-in movement to protest the store's segregation policy. At the breakfast, the four were reunited with Ralph Johns, a local business owner who helped advise them during the demonstrations. McCain is quoted as saying his children don't believe him when he talks about what segregation was like, which he says is both positive and negative. Richmond reportedly commented on the recent November 3, 1979 murders of five Communist Workers Party members at the Death to the Klan rally. Spivey also reports on other events held to commemorate the sit-ins including a press conference where Dr. Samuel Proctor, former president of North Carolina A&T State University (A&T), argued that new tactics were needed to continue the fight for equality. At the unveiling of a North Carolina historical marker at the site of the sit-ins, Guilford College professor Dr. Alexander R. Stoesen called the sit-ins a continuation of "creative processes generated by the American Revolution." The article notes that the day's activities were to conclude with a reception on the A&T campus. This article was clipped and saved in a scrapbook about the twentieth anniversary of the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins by Clarence "Curly" Harris, manager of the Greensboro Woolworth store at the time of the sit-ins. |
| Type | text |
| Original format | clippings;scrapbooks |
| Original dimensions | 9" x 11" |
| Original publisher | [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] |
| Language | en |
| Contributing institution | Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries |
| Source collection | MSS141 Clarence Lee Harris Papers, circa 1916-1997 |
| Series/grouping | 6 Scrapbooks |
| Box | 2 |
| Folder | Folder 7: Scrapbook 5: Sit In, 20 Year Anniversary, 1979-1980 |
| Finding aid link | http://libapps.uncg.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=506 |
| Rights statement | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Additional rights information | IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the contributing institution for permission to reuse. |
| Object ID | MSS0141.002.007.1055 |
| Digital publisher | The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, 336.334.5305 -- http://library.uncg.edu/ |
| Sponsor | LSTA grant administered by the North Carolina State Library -- http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/grants/lsta.html |
| OCLC number | 884368061 |
Page/Item Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | 4 welcomed this time Woolworth serves up anniversary breakfast Back at the COUnter again Greensboro, N.C., Friday, February 1, 1980 Woolworth Vice President Aubrey C. Lewis stands behind lunch counter this morning during commemorative breakfast. The original participants at the counter are, from left to right, Jo- BY~JO SPIVEY Record Staff Writer From the size of the crowd, it could have been February 1960 at the Woolworth lunch counter this morning, except the faces weren't hostile and the talk was friendly. The occasion was breakfast for Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair Jr.), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil and Franklin McCain, who as A&T State University freshmen launched the sit-ins that triggered the 1960s civil rights movement. They were back at the invitation of the store that refused to serve them 20 years ago today. Woolworth vice president, Aubrey C. Lewis of New York, was behind the counter taking their breakfast orders. But no one got to eat. On hand were reporters, cameramen and talk show hosts from across the nation who kept the four men busy with questions of their recollections of 20 years ago, their philosophies, and their views of what still needs to be accomplished in the area of civil rights. Khazan, who adopted an Islamic name several years ago, was in white robes and turban. He ordered a banana and warm water, but he ate only half the banana. "That's the first time I've heard of that breakfast" said Lewis, "but it's on the menu from now on." seph McNeU, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Jibreel Khazan, formerly Ezell Blair Jr., who returned for the anniversary of the original sit-in. A waitress, recognized as one who had been employed at the store 20 years ago, termed the event "really something, a real change" from the way things were during the sit-in era. The breakfast also was a reunion for the four with Ralph Johns of Hollywood, Calif., formerly an East Market Street merchant and civil rights advocate, who was an adviser to the young men 20 years ago. Asked about his thoughts as he sat at the counter today, McNeil said he feels "very positive" about the 20th anniversary observance. "Particularly do I feel good about the fact that it was planned by a cross section of the community" he said. "It is extremely encouraging to see diverse elements come together like this. It is truly a high moment." The event was among those sponsored by the Feb. 1 Committee, a group of citizens organized last October to commemorate the sit-ins. If he had it to do over, would he still have taken part in the sit-in movement? McNeil was asked. "Yes, yes, indeed" said McNeil. "I'm proud to have played a part, but I think there still is a great deal to be done." The three other men echoed McNeil's statement. "I view it, however, as a separate thing from Frank |
