Jan 19, 2026 · The sit-in movement was a nonviolent movement of the U.S. civil rights era that began in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960. The sit-in, an act of civil disobedience, aroused sympathy …

By sitting in protest at an all-white lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, four college students sparked national interest in the push for civil rights. Bolstered by the success of direct action, CORE …

A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change.

The sit-in campaigns of 1960 and the ensuing creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) demonstrated the potential strength of grassroots militancy and enabled a new …

It consisted in peacefully and patiently sitting at segregated locations such as lunch counters, movie theaters, parks and other public places. Protests were well organized, students were coached by …

: an act of sitting in seats or on the floor (as in a restaurant or office) as a means of organized protest

Sit-ins are inherently nonviolent—participants simply refuse to leave. Any violence that occurs typically comes from authorities or opponents, creating sympathetic media coverage.

Sit-in participants were trained to sit quietly without responding to aggression, and if attacked, to curl into a ball and take the punishment. If they were arrested, others would take their place.

Although sit-ins are primarily remembered as a tactic used throughout the civil rights movement to challenge segregation, sit-ins can be traced back to the "sit-down" strikes during the labor movement.

Sit-in, a tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience. The demonstrators enter a business or a public place and remain seated until forcibly evicted or until their grievances are answered.