The Woolworth's lunch counter holds significant historical importance in the context of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. One of the most famous protests took place at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960. On February 1st of that year, four Black college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (known as the A&T Four) initiated a sit-in protest at the segregated lunch counter in the Woolworth's store.

The four students, Ezell Blair Jr. (later known as Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil, took seats at the "whites-only" counter and politely requested service, knowing that the establishment did not serve Black customers at that time. Their peaceful protest quickly gained attention and sparked a wave of sit-ins and demonstrations at Woolworth's and other segregated establishments across the country.

The Greensboro sit-ins at Woolworth's played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, as they highlighted the persistence and determination of Black activists in their fight against segregation and discrimination. The successful boycotts and protests eventually led to Woolworth's desegregating its lunch counters and marking a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement.