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Civil Rights

In: Social Issues

Submitted By jerikohler
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February 1, 1960, four black students attending a college in Greensboro, NC, were refused lunch at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and began a sit-in. This event triggered several other nonviolent protests throughout the south. Six months later, the same four students were served at the same Woolworth’s lunch counter. Student sit-ins throughout the South were very effective in integrating many public places. These sit-ins ignited a decade of civil rights protests that proved that the American people could have a real impact on segregation. During other sit-ins in other cities, media coverage was scarce, many of the stories being buried in the back pages of the newspaper if covered at all. The Greensboro sit-in was ran as front page news in the local paper. Associated press began arriving and two days later, The New York times ran the first of many articles covering the sit-ins. Coverage by the media was one of the many reasons the movement took off so quickly. In January of 1961, James Meredith applied to attend the University of Mississippi. His application expressed his desire to be accepted despite the color of his skin. His application was immediately denied. With the help of the NAACP, he challenged the University’s decision in state and federal court. The Supreme Court ordered Ole Miss to admit Meredith in September of 1962. Governor of Mississippi, Segregationist Ross Barnett had other plans. Using the media to appeal to the fears of whites in Mississippi, he used segregation as a tool to get elected into office. On September 13, 1962, Barnett went on public television and tried to rally the people to stand behind him in keeping the schools of Mississippi segregated as well as the idea of a sovereign state, separate from the Federal government. President Kennedy sent 5,000 federal troops to be in attendance as Meredith was finally

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