nashville sit ins nashville sit ins lasted february direct action campaign end racial segregation lunch downtown nashville tennessee sit campaign coordinated notable early success emphasis disciplined course campaign sit ins staged numerous stores nashville central business district sit participants consisted mainly black college students verbally physically attacked white despite refusal students eventually arrested refusing vacate store lunch ordered police trial students represented group lawyers headed april home bombed wife injured later day nearly people marched city hall confront mayor escalating violence asked believed lunch nashville west agreed subsequent negotiations store owners protest leaders agreement reached week downtown stores began serving black customers lunch time initial campaign successfully downtown lunch sit ins protests segregated facilities continued nashville passage civil rights act ended overt legally sanctioned segregation nationwide organizers nashville sit ins went important leaders historical context united_states supreme_court decision upheld racial segregation doctrine separate equal decision led laws united_states laws mandated segregation virtually spheres public life allowed racial discrimination flourish country especially nashville like southern cities african americans severely system segregation relegated schools barred numerous public accommodations african americans prospects skilled employment subject constant discrimination white majority efforts oppose laws nashville early formation nashville african american community lay foundation racial segregation organization nashville christian leadership council founded reverend pastor organization affiliate southern christian leadership conference established promote civil rights african americans civil smith believed americans sympathetic african americans obtained rights peaceful demonstration judicial system march march held workshops tactics challenge segregation workshops led studied principles resistance working missionary india workshops mainly attended students later american baptist theological seminary later attending sessions students significant leaders workshops decided target group actions downtown lunch time african americans allowed shop downtown stores allowed eat stores restaurants group felt lunch good objective highly visible easily accessible provided stark example black faced day late members projects committee met department store owners asked voluntarily serve african americans lunch men declined saying lose business gain students began reconnaissance sit demonstrations test took place downtown nashville november followed store december small groups students purchased items stores sat lunch attempted order food goal try sense mood degree resistance store refused service lunch reactions varied significantly received surprisingly responses treated contempt reconnaissance actions low key city newspapers notified scale demonstrations students nashville chance plans events brought renewed urgency effort week february small sit demonstration north_carolina grew significant protest eighty students participating day similar demonstrations occurred previously cities attract substantial media attention public notice group met subsequent friday night new volunteers showed join cause adult organizers argued delay student leaders insisted time come action large scale organized sit saturday february students black walked downtown stores asked served lunch staff refused serve sat stores hours left incident monday following sit baptist minister conference nashville representing congregations unanimously voted support student movement throwing weight nashville black religious community students local religious leaders called people good boycott downtown merchants practiced segregation nashville black community strongly supported boycott causing economic merchants second sit occurred thursday february students entered grants lunch immediately closed students remained half hour left incident sit occurred february students entered previous stores downtown students sat crowds white youths gathered stores police kept eye locations incidents violence occurred students remained nearly hours mass meeting tensions mounted following week sit demonstrations spread cities race riots broke nearby february nashville student activists held fourth sit stores crowds white youths gathered stores harass time police present eventually sit attacked stores pulled seats beaten pushed flight stairs police arrived white attackers fled arrested police ordered locations leave stores refused leave arrested loaded police vehicles applauded eighty students arrested charged conduct arrests brought surge media coverage sit campaign including national television news coverage page stories nashville daily newspapers associated_press story students generally viewed media coverage helpful cause especially illustrated commitment sit ins took place following months resulting arrests attacks sit participants students arrested demonstrations student activists maintained policy disciplined written code conduct model followed cities strike curse abused laugh hold conversations floor walker leave seat leader given permission block entrances stores outside inside friendly times sit straight face counter report incidents leader refer information leader manner remember teachings jesus love way trials expulsion trials sit participants attracted widespread interest nashville surrounding region february day trials crowd people lined streets surrounding city courthouse support defendants group lawyers headed represented students initially trial presided city judge dismissed charges students stepped bench turning trial judge despite strong support black community students arrested convicted conduct fined students refused pay fines chose instead serve thirty days county issued statement behalf students explaining decision feel pay fines contributing supporting injustice immoral practices performed arrest conviction defendants day trials began group black ministers including met mayor discuss sit ins coverage meeting local press including scathing editorial denouncing mouth brought activities attention enrolled student confronted executive committee told end involvement sit ins refused immediately expelled university march effort racial tensions caused sit ins mayor west announced formation seek solution city racial strife committee included presidents city black universities include representatives student movement committee met times month delivered recommendations report april committee recommended partially integrate city lunch store section whites section whites blacks solution rejected student leaders considered recommendations morally unacceptable based policy segregation week issued report sit ins resumed boycott downtown businesses intensified residence bombing april dynamite thrown window home north nashville apparently retaliation support explosion destroyed house wife asleep bedroom injured windows nearby dormitory broken blast protesters event served catalyst movement hours news bombing spread community noon nearly people marched city hall confront mayor mayor west met courthouse steps reverend read prepared statement accusing mayor ignoring moral issues involved segregation turning blind eye violence injustice asked mayor felt wrong person based solely race skin color west answered agreed wrong nash asked believed lunch city west answered yes added store managers course coverage event varied significantly nashville major newspapers emphasized mayor agreement lunch emphasized mayor statement city merchants decide largely indicative papers opposing issue regardless mayor response later cited important turning point activists nashville business owners day bombing came nashville speak speech praised nashville sit movement best organized disciplined stated came nashville bring inspiration gain inspiration great movement taken place community weeks secret negotiations merchants protest leaders agreement finally reached week according agreement small selected groups african americans order food downtown lunch day known advance merchants merchants prepare employees event serve customers trouble arrangement continue controlled manner couple weeks controls taken point merchants protest leaders evaluate results agreement media informed settlement requested provide accurate non sensational coverage downtown stores opened lunch black customers time customers arrived groups afternoon served incident time african americans ended week old boycott downtown stores plan continued successfully lunch integrated incidents violence nashville major city south begin public facilities end sit campaign brought brief respite civil rights activists nashville racism remained problem city years sit ins actions place restaurants movie theaters public swimming pools segregated facilities nashville actions continued congress passed civil rights act prohibited segregation public places united_states year key figures sit ins including interviewed book speaks negro reflected experiences anniversary events held mark anniversary nashville sit ins january hosted panel discussion entitled veterans nashville sit ins struggle continues featured speakers hosted exhibition february entitled shall moved 50th anniversary tennessee february 29th annual conference african american history culture held special commemoration sit ins featured guest speaker february hosted panel discussion media coverage nashville sit ins featured speakers downtown nashville library hosted photography exhibit entitled visions voices february author commentator led forum discuss civil rights issues downtown nashville library auditorium february
Nashville sit-ins