8). Case Study: Sit-ins
Figure 6: (History.com - 2010)
What Happened? Sit-ins were a form of political protest utilised throughout the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s. There were a vast number of instances where sit-ins were used, such as in Greensboro in 1960, one of the most famous examples. Like several other demonstrations used throughout the civil rights movement, sit-ins were a non-violent form of protest and political participation, although they were illegal, which set them apart from other protests such as bus boycotts. Sit-ins were extremely popular throughout the civil rights movement, taking place across the country and in a variety of establishments, such as shopfronts and schools. Even when steps were taken by authorities to try and stop these demonstrations, African American citizens continued to participate in such a way until policies were changed and segregation was ultimately deemed unconstitutional. These sit- ins, particularly those in Greensboro, “invigorated the U.S. civil rights movement by reinforcing the success of actions like the Montgomery bus boycott, which had proved how effective masses of people could be in swaying public opinion and changing governmental policy” (Kowal, 2004, p.136).
8.1). What Type of Participation Occurred?
Non-violent protests were the most utilised form of political participation
throughout the civil rights movement, and the sit-ins were an excellent example
of this. While still an illegal form of participation, it was not as drastic as other
examples of illegal participation such as violent protest but was still highly
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