Movement1960
Sit-In Movement Spreads Across the South
By the end of February 1960, the sit-in movement sparked in Greensboro had spread to more than 30 communities across eight states. Thousands of students, both Black and white, participated in nonviolent protests at segregated lunch counters, department stores, and public facilities.
Why It Matters
The rapid spread of sit-ins demonstrated the power of youth-led nonviolent direct action and established a model of civic engagement that would define the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s.