BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. [1][2], Khazan was born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr. on October 18, 1941, in Greensboro, North Carolina. 0. Blair, along with Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond, decided to stage the sit-in protest as a way of challenging the racial segregation that was prevalent in their community. He served on university boards and received an honorary doctorate, according to the Civil Rights Digital Library. Upon his return to North Carolina, the Greensboro Trailways Bus Terminal Cafe denied him service at its lunch counter, making him determined to fight segregation. They were influenced by the nonviolent protest techniques practiced by Mohandas Gandhi, as well as the Freedom Rides organized by the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) in 1947, in which interracial activists rode across the South in buses to test a recent Supreme Court decision banning segregation in interstate bus travel. The Greensboro sit-in is the subject of a Google Doodle on February 1, 2020 for the 60th anniversary of the action. According to History.com, they also were influenced by Mohandas Gandhi and the Freedom Riders and their principles of non-violent protest. After graduating from A&T in 1963, Blair encountered difficulties finding a job in his native Greensboro. By the early 1970s, SNCC had lost much of its mainstream support and was effectively disbanded. Woolworth's whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro to protest segregation. He majored in business administration and accounting and became a counselor-coordinator for the CETA program in Greensboro. In three days, their numbers had swelled to 300. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. None of it deterred the protesters. Today Khazan is an oral historian, oracle, Mass-Star Story teller and lecturer. Khazan also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class Were preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights., He was also influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. He was a student government leader. The Greensboro Four, as they came to be known, acted to challenge the lunch counters refusal to serve African Americans. They were refused service and sat peacefully until the store closed. Denied service, the four young men refused to give up their seats. They refused to leave when denied service and stayed until the store closed. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Multiple lunch counter sit-ins had taken place in the Midwest, East Coast and South in the 1940s and 1950s, but these demonstrations didnt garner national attention. It may be easy to think that the sit-ins were about eating next to white people or about a hotdog and a coke, but, of course, it was more complex than that, Guzmn says. For starters, according to History.com, they were upset about the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, who was slain after being accused of whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. [10] On October 12, 2021, Khazan was honored with the renaming of a city park in the west end of New Bedford, MA. He had to move to Massachusetts because the publicity made it. After nearly a week of protests, approximately 1,400 students showed up to the Greensboro Woolworth to demonstrate. Ezell A. Blair, Jr. was born on October 18, 1941 and is 81 years old now. He had been a high school track star and was born in Greensboro. The former Woolworth's in Greensboro now houses the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which features a restored version of the lunch counter where the Greensboro Four sat. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Report Video . He never strayed very far from the example of his parents, who were active in the civil rights movement, or the lessons of the people he had known as a child growing up in the south. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, NBC News, The Atlantic, Business Insider and other outlets. The Greensboro Four, as they became known, had also been spurred to action by the brutal murder in 1955 of a young Black boy, Emmett Till, who had allegedly whistled at a white woman in a Mississippi store. On February 1, 1960, Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeillater dubbed the Greensboro Fourbegan a sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter in. Ezell A. Blair Jr. was one of the four African American college students who initiated the sit-in protest at Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960. As demonstrations spread to 13 states, the focus of the sit-ins expanded, with students not only protesting segregated lunch counters but also segregated hotels, beaches and libraries. The sit-in protest continued for several days and soon spread throughout the South, sparking a new phase of the Civil Rights Movement. It was a small victoryand one that would build. He attended law school at Howard University for almost a year before a variety of maladies forced him out. After the Greensboro sit-ins, Blair became a prominent civil rights activist and organizer. Jan 27, 2020. This is the real beginnings of TV media; people can see the sit-in and imagine how they would do it themselves, said Theoharis, author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. His breaking point was when he was not served a hot dog at the Greensboro bus terminal, according to Carolina Theatre. Frye Gaillard, The Greensboro Four: Civil Rights Pioneers (Charlotte, N.C.: Main Street Rag Publishing Co., 2001); William H. Chafe, Civilities and Civil Rights: Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Black Struggle for Freedom (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980). While a student at A & T he was elected to attend the meeting at Shaw University in Raleigh at which the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed. Download it here. As its members faced increased violence, however, SNCC became more militant, and by the late 1960s it was advocating the Black Power philosophy of Stokely Carmichael (SNCCs chairman from 1966-67) and his successor, H. Rap Brown. David Richmond, the fourth member and McCain's freshman college roommate, died in 1990. [3] His father was a member of the NAACP and very vocal on the subject of racial injustices and "things naturally rubbed off on me", described Khazan in a 1974 interview. Ezell Blair Jr. was the son of a teacher who received his B.S. On February 1, 1960, the four students sat down at the lunch counter at the Woolworths in downtown Greensboro, where the official policy was to refuse service to anyone but whites. 0 54. Activist Ella Baker, then director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organized the youth-centered groups first meeting. Ezell Blair Jr.. Self: February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four. All Rights Reserved. The February One Monument is an important landmark on A&T's campus that sets it apart from other institutions. Jibreel Khazan (previously Ezell Blair, Jr). He continued his education at Massachusetts University and later at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice.[7]. The sit-in demonstrations were just the beginning of Khazan's community involvement. It is reported that as a nine-year-old he boasted to friends that he would one day drink from the white peoples fountains and eat at their lunch counters. Blair was the most uncertain of the four who decided to stage the Woolworth protest, and recalls calling his parents to ask their advice. In response to the success of the sit-in movement, dining facilities across the South were being integrated by the summer of 1960. Though many were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace, national media coverage of the sit-ins brought increasing attention to the civil rights movement. His name is now Jibreel Khazan. By simply remaining in their seats peacefully and quietly, they flummoxed the staff and left them unsure on how to enforce their whites-only rule. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. In late 1959, the Greensboro Four participated in NAACP meetings at Bennett College, where they collaborated with the women students known as the Bennett Belles on a plan. Sit-in demonstrations by Black college students grew at the Woolworth's in Greensboro and other local stores, February 6, 1960. In 1958, Khazan heard King speak at the local Bennett College. After graduation, He briefly studied law at Howard University Law School in Washington, DC. As he had been labeled a "troublemaker" for his role in the Greensboro Sit-Ins, life in Greensboro became difficult for Khazan. Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four, a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of "[5], In 1959, Khazan graduated from James B. Dudley High School, and entered the A&T College of North Carolina. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, "Photo of Jibreel Khazan Receiving Award (Ezell Blair, Jr.)" (1961). He graduated from James B. Dudley High School in 1959 and began his freshman year at A&T College having received an A&T College Alumni Association Scholarship. Touring history with Avett Brothers' bassist Bob Crawford. They were all students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. Police arrived on the scene but were unable to take action due to the lack of provocation. He changed his name to Jibreel Khazan and became involved in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and other civil rights organizations. [6], The sit-in demonstrations were just the beginning of Khazan's community involvement. His 1964 interview describes the Greensboro sit-ins in Chapter 5 of Who Speaks for the Negro? Original materials provided by the University of Kentucky and Yale University libraries and digitized with the permission of the Warren estate. The Greensboro Four wanted their protest to get recognition, so before heading to Woolworths on February 1, they arranged for Ralph Johns, a white businessman and activist, to alert the press about their plans. At the end of July, when many local college students were on summer vacation, the Greensboro Woolworths quietly integrated its lunch counter. He was elected president of the junior class, and would later become president of the school's student government association, the campus NAACP and the Greensboro Congress for Racial Equality. "[5] Khazan also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class Were preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights.[1], He was also influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. Google says they were also influenced by the techniques of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. About a dozen Bennett Belles were also arrested at area sit-ins. All Rights Reserved. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. There were also sit-ins in Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, says John L. Swaine, CEO of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. The Greensboro Fours efforts inspired a sit-in movement that eventually spread to 55 cities in 13 states. SNCC activists such as John Lewis took part in the 1961 Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and the 1963 Freedom Summer effort. According to Google, hundreds of other protesters soon joined them, but the protesters faced a counter movement that included racial slurs being hurled in their direction and even were spit on and had food thrown on them. The movement was about simple dignity, respect, access, equal opportunity, and most importantly the legal and constitutional concerns., READ MORE:8 Steps That Paved the Way to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On February 1, 1960, Blair, along with McNeil, Franklin and Richmond, took the bold step of violating the Greensboro Woolworth's segregation policy. We provide access to these materials to preserve the historical record, but we do not endorse the attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors found within them. The reaction was ugly in the short-term, but in the long-term the protests spread and made real change. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Education - Historically Black Colleges (HBCU), Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Though many of the protesters were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace, their actions made an immediate and lasting impact, forcing Woolworths and other establishments to change their segregationist policies. Joseph Alfred McNeil (born March 25, 1942) is a retired major general in the United States Air Force who is best known for being a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's It's honored with a Google Doodle. Movies. To capitalize on the momentum of the sit-in movement, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 1960. They have three children, one of whom graduated from A & T. Do you find this information helpful? McNeil worked in the university library with a fellow activist, Eula Hudgens, who encouraged him to protest. WATCH: The Civil Rights Movement on HISTORY Vault. From left to right: Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair, Jr.), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeill, and David Richmond. In 1963, Khazan graduated from A&T College with a Bachelor's degree in sociology and Social Studies. Joseph McNeil earned a degree in engineering physics in 1963 and joined the U.S. Air Force, where he became a captain. In 2010, Khazan was the recipient of the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution. The four students were inspired by the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., and they believed that peaceful direct action was the best way to bring about change. His life was threatened, so he moved to a mountain community, according to Carolina Theatre. Copyright: Jack Moebes/Corbis. Biographies of the A&T Four Jibreel Khazan Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair, Jr.) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 18, 1941. They were asked to leave. The year was 1960, and segregation raged throughout the country, but the students decided they had had enough. Four years later, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would mandate all businesses to desegregate. Each of the participants in the sit-in had different catalysts, but it is clear that the four men had a close friendship that mutually reinforced their desire to act. Ezell A. Blair Jr. was one of the four African American college students who initiated the sit-in protest at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960. Greensboro Sit-In: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. He married the former Lorraine France George of New Bedford. Woolworth. Today, he is remembered as a hero of the Civil Rights Movement and a symbol of the power of nonviolent resistance to bring about change. This monument provides a larger-than-life portrayal of Jibreel Khazan (then known as Ezell Blair Jr.), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond, four NC A&T students who became known as the "Greensboro Four" for their sit-in at Woolworth's department store in 1960. The Greensboro sit-in. [11], Khazan is married to the former Lorraine France George of New Bedford. Eventually, they prevailed, and Woolworths stopped segregating its dining area on July 25th, 1960, Google reports. On February 1, 1960, four college students - Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil - sat read more. In 1965, he moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he worked as a teacher and counselor for the developmentally challenged. Updated: January 25, 2022 | Original: February 4, 2010. Jibreel Khazan (now Ezell Blair Jr.) was one of the original four who took part in the Woolworth sit-ins. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. [5] Khazan stated that he had seen a documentary on Mohandas Gandhi's use of "passive insistence" that had inspired him to act. Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four, a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of denying service to non-white customers. At the time of the protest, he was a student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he was studying engineering. On February 1st, 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, four A&T freshmen students, Ezell Blair, Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond walked downtown and "sat - in" at the whites-only lunch counter at F.W. They were taking place in a lot of places before Greensboro., READ MORE: Follow the Freedom Riders' Journey Against Segregation. What sparked the Greensboro Four, as the students were known, to take such courageous action? David Richmond died young. [5] His 1964 interview describes the Greensboro sit-ins in Chapter 5 of Who Speaks for the Negro? [4] Shortly before his death, McCain was interviewed by his granddaughter, Taylor, who asked him to define freedom. Ezell Blair is a member of famous Activist list. The Greensboro Four were four young Black men who staged the first sit-in at Greensboro: Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil. The protests and the subsequent events were major milestones in the Civil Rights Movement. All Rights Reserved. Part of the original counter is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Blair, Richmond, McCain and McNeil planned their protest carefully, and enlisted the help of a local white businessman, Ralph Johns, to put their plan into action. He was captivated as King addressed the audience in attendance. Ezell Blair, Jr. (later Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond organized the sit-in. It was during his freshman year that Khazan and his roommate, Joseph McNeil; along with two other associates, Franklin McCain and David Richmond, devised a plan to protest against the policies of the segregated lunch counter at the downtown Greensboro F. W. Woolworth's store. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The Belles resolved to serve as look-outs when the four men took their seats at the lunch counter on the first day. Franklin McCain graduated from A&T with a degree in chemistry and biology.
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