One of the things many people find particularly interesting about the city, state or country in which they are visiting is the history of the people and the culture that has contributed to making the current society what it is today. This is definitely true for the city of Greensboro and the people who visit this city are frequently surprised by and interested in the role it played in the civil rights movement of this country. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is one of the top places to visit for the guests in the Greensboro best hotels and they frequently walk away with a greater awareness of the period and appreciation for the city of Greensboro.

The museum is located on the site of the former Woolworth’s Store , where the city’s historic sit ins took place. The event that spurred a major civil rights demonstration occurrence throughout the south began on February 1, 1960. On that day four African American students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down at the Woolworth lunch counter, which was designated as only serving whites. They were refused service and asked to stand, as they were supposed to, but the students remained seated until the store closed. This led to protests in front of the building, which began to draw large crowds of protest. A section of the lunch counter that was present in the store and the location of the quiet protest remains on display at the museum.

The museum and civil rights center is focused on honoring these four individuals, Ezell A. Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin Eugene McCain and Joseph Alfred McNeil, who collectively are known as the Greensboro Four. In addition it continues to support civil rights efforts and honors all of those who have contributed to the cause. The center acknowledges that civil rights are precious and vulnerable and preserving them is an ongoing effort and it supports the struggle of oppressed people in their fights to find freedom.

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