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University of Florida professor Gwendolyn Simmons discussed the South’s civil rights movement
December 9, 2009
The 50th anniversary of the sit-ins that energized the civil rights movement in the South was discussed on December 8, 2009. Panelists for “The 50th Anniversary of the Sit-Ins: From Greensboro to Tallahassee” included history professors Bill Link and Alan Petigny and religion professor Gwendolyn Simmons, discussing the significance of the sit-in movement and its impact on the nation. David Colburn, history professor emeritus, moderated the discussion. Fifty years ago segregation permeated life in the South and in Florida. On February 1, 1960, the foundation of segregation was shattered when four college students from North Carolina A&T University sat at the whites-only counter at the F.W. Woolworth Store in Greensboro. The students returned on subsequent days and were joined by other students who shared their belief that it was time for change. In the following days and weeks, the sit-in movement spread throughout the South and stirred the nation, ultimately leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “The sit-in movement was one of the most important social movements in American history,” said Colburn, director of the Askew Institute and provost emeritus. “The actions of these college students made possible the overthrow of segregation and the nation’s acceptance of equality and freedom.”