A&T COLLEGE SENIOR EXPLAINS
CURRENT SIT-DOWN STRIKE
Editor's Note: With the current
sit-down strikes and picketing going
on in nearby Greensboro, The Guil-
fordian felt that it should delve into
the problem and present the facts to
the Guilford Student Body. Therefore,
one of the reporters has interviewed
an A&T College senior to get his
views on the situation. At his request,
he will go unnamed. This is the story
our reporter received:
By Penny Smith
Anyone who has been in the
downtown Greensboro area during the last several months has
noticed the picketing being carried on in front of the dime stores
protesting the unequal rights received by Negroes in the United
States. Everyone has participated
in bull sessions where this has
been the main topic of discussion,
but how many of us really know
the facts — the true story? The
Guilfoedian has interviewed an
A&T College senior to obtain
these facts as seen by one of the
actual picketers. The information
gained from this interview is as
follows:
On February 1 the Negro students began their crusade for equal
rights in the form of sit-down
strikes in several Greensboro
stores. They did this in order to
call to the public's attention the
fact that they too are citizens of
the United States, a nation which
professes that everyone is equal,
and that they, the Negroes, are not
being treated equally.
Cooling Off Period
The students of A & T and Bennett College stopped their sit-
down strikes when they felt that
they had gotten their point across
to the public. They ceased in order
to give people time to think things
over and, generally, "to take inventory of their situation" and
reach a compromise which would
be satisfactory for everyone in
Greensboro.
After waiting what they thought
was "ample time," the students
decided that nothing worthwhile
was being accomplished; therefore,
they resumed their protest by continuing their sit-down strikes. "We
will continue our protest indefinitely," said the A&T student, "until something is done."
This student feels that the general opinion of both the whites
and Negroes is very favorable.
They have, at times during
their picketing, been bumped into,
shoved, and had elbows jabbed
into their sides; however, nothing
really serious has happened. Also,
they have been the subject of quite
a bit of jeering. In no way whatsoever have they returned these
actions.
Other Students Help
The white girls who have participated in the picketing are students at Bennett and A&T, which
— though many people are not
aware of it—are integrated. A&T
is a state supported school and,
therefore, any student, no matter
what race he belongs to, "has a
right to attend the college if he so
The picketers feel they have
helped further their cause and in
no way hurt themselves. They have
let "the world know that they are
not satisfied with the places which
have been designated for them and
the treatment they have received."
They have tried to make the public
aware of the fact that they should
be more careful in their treatment
of others and consider others' feelings. The student interviewed felt
that this deed was an accomplishment in itself.
According to this same student,
they are not directly responsible
for the sit-down strikes which have
occurred in other localities. They
are indirectly responsible, however, because the thought of protesting has been in the minds of
Negroes through the years and is
not new. They needed an incentive to transpose their thoughts into
actions, and A&T and Bennett
served as their incentive by being
first to act.
