The Woolworth's lunch counter played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. On February 1, 1960, a group of four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, staged a sit-in at the segregated lunch counter at a Woolworth's department store. The students, known as the "Greensboro Four," refused to leave their seats until they were served, sparking a wave of sit-ins at Woolworth's and other segregated lunch counters across the South.

The sit-ins at Woolworth's and other establishments brought national attention to the issue of racial segregation and discrimination, and became a key strategy in the nonviolent protest movement of the Civil Rights Movement. The bravery and determination of these young protesters inspired a new generation of activists and helped to pave the way for the desegregation of public accommodations in the United States.

The Woolworth's lunch counter sit-ins are remembered as a powerful example of the grassroots activism and strategic nonviolent resistance that were central to the success of the Civil Rights Movement.