The Nashville Sit-In of February 13, 1960
On February 13, 1960, 124 students began the Nashville sit-in campaign that lasted until May 10. Most participants were Black students from local colleges who challenged racial segregation at downtown lunch counters.
The Nashville Student Movement and Nashville Christian Leadership Council organized these protests. Students planned to sit at whites-only lunch counters and ask for service. Their actions made Nashville the first major Southern city to desegregate public facilities.
James Lawson’s Nonviolent Workshops
Reverend James Lawson taught students how to protest without fighting back. He learned peaceful protest methods in India while studying Gandhi’s approach to resisting unfair treatment.
Students practiced staying calm during role-playing sessions where they faced insults and harassment. Young people from Fisk University, Tennessee A&I State University, Meharry Medical College, and American Baptist Seminary joined these training workshops.
They learned to respond to hate without anger.
The Early Test Runs Before February 13
Students tried small practice sit-ins at Harvey’s and Cain-Sloan stores in November and December 1959. These tests gave them real experience without drawing attention.
Nashville students were already planning their movement before the famous Greensboro sit-ins on February 1, 1960.
When news from Greensboro spread, Nashville students decided to move forward with their plans even though some older leaders wanted more time to prepare.
The Student Leaders Who Organized The Sit-In
Diane Nash from Fisk University spoke clearly and stayed calm under pressure, making her a natural leader. John Lewis from American Baptist Seminary helped organize students and later became a congressman.
James Bevel, Bernard Lafayette, Marion Barry, and C.T. Vivian also helped plan the protests. These students formed the Nashville Student Movement to keep their protests organized and ongoing. Many became important leaders in the national fight for civil rights.
The 124 Students Who Made History
Students dressed in their best clothes on February 13. Men wore suits and ties while women wore dresses – looking like they were going to church. Each student knew exactly where to sit and what to do if refused service.
They brought books to study during the protest. These young people risked getting kicked out of school, disappointing their families, and facing violence – all to stand up against unfair treatment.
The Three Targeted Stores On February 13
Woolworth’s, S.H. Kress, and McClellan stores stood along Fifth Avenue in downtown Nashville. All three were popular chain stores that sold low-priced goods.
These stores let Black customers shop and spend money in most areas but refused to serve them at lunch counters.
This practice was common across the South. Black shoppers could buy items throughout the store but couldn’t sit and eat with white customers.
How The Sit-In Was Coordinated
Students met at the Arcade shopping center around noon before splitting into smaller groups. At exactly 12:30 PM, they entered their assigned stores according to plan.
First, each student bought something small in the store to show they were real customers with money to spend. Then they moved to the lunch counters and sat down.
Leaders placed students carefully throughout each counter to make the biggest impact without blocking other customers.
The Store Employees’ Initial Reactions
Workers at the lunch counters refused to serve Black students. They said company rules didn’t allow serving “colored” customers at their eating areas. Managers closed the lunch counters completely rather than serve everyone equally.
Some claimed they had the right to choose who deserved service. No fights broke out during this first protest – staff simply ignored the seated students or told them they wouldn’t be served.
Two Hours Of Disciplined Protest
Students sat quietly reading books or doing homework at the lunch counters. They followed their training by staying calm no matter what happened. Not one student responded with anger despite being rejected.
They showed remarkable self-control following the peaceful protest methods they had practiced. After two hours, around 2:30 PM, all students left the stores in an orderly way without causing disruption.
The Immediate Aftermath
Nashville’s Black churches quickly supported the students.
By Monday, the Baptist Minister’s Conference, speaking for 79 churches, voted to stand with the protesters. Church leaders asked Black citizens to stop shopping at stores that wouldn’t serve everyone equally.
The Black community stopped spending money at these businesses, which hurt the stores financially. Black newspapers spread news about the protest while white-owned papers mostly ignored it at first.
The Second Wave Five Days Later
On Thursday, February 18, more than 200 students joined a second sit-in. This larger group went to Woolworth’s, Kress, McClellan’s, and added Grant’s store to their list. Store managers immediately closed their lunch counters when they saw the students coming.
The protesters stayed about 30 minutes before leaving peacefully. Each demonstration grew larger as students added more downtown stores to their protests in the following days.
Visiting Civil Rights Room, Nashville Public Library
The Civil Rights Room is located inside the Nashville Room on the second floor of the Main Library at 615 Church Street.
The room features a symbolic lunch counter where you can view historical photos and read about Nashville’s sit-in movement. You can explore over 100 oral history interviews, photographs, and original documents from Nashville’s civil rights movement.
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