Sit-ins were a form of nonviolent protest used during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. They involved African American activists sitting down at segregated lunch counters or other public spaces reserved for white individuals.

One of the most famous sit-ins in Black history occurred on February 1, 1960, when four college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University staged a sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The four students, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), and David Richmond, were denied service at the segregated counter and decided to stay until they were served. Their peaceful protest sparked a wave of sit-ins across the South, as Black students and activists used this tactic to challenge segregation and demand equal rights.

Sit-ins were effective in raising awareness about racial segregation, discrimination, and injustice. They were a powerful way for African Americans to assert their dignity and demand equal treatment in public spaces. The success of the sit-ins in drawing attention to racial inequality helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in public places and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.