The Greensboro Four were four young Black men who staged the first sit-in at Greensboro. 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 protestors gather in a space or building, refusing to move unless their demands are met.

On February 1, 1960, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., and Joe McNeil staged the very first sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The four men refused to leave until they were served.

Throughout the south, sit-in protests became popular in college towns. Protesters were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace. Their actions ultimately led to Woolworths and other segregated businesses to change their policies.

Black men make up about 6.1% of the United States population, according to census.gov. Black men make up 34% of the total male population. 230 Black men and boys die due to police brutality in the United Sates every year. Police brutality kills about 2.8 out of every 100,000 young men ages 25-29. In comparison, cancer kills about 6.3 out of every 100,000 young men ages 25-29. This means that the police's use of force is one of the leading causes of death for men within this age group. Since January 1, 2015, 1,380 Black men have been killed by the police. 34 out of every one million Black men can expect to die from police brutality.

Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a world without police brutality, segregation, and inequality. Today, in 2021, we still have to take to the streets. That's why we say Black Lives Matter. That's why we say their names. In order to protect Black men, we must educate ourselves and others.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."

(Sources: The Washington Post, PNAS.org, bjs.gov)

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."

--Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Before Robinson played in the MLB, he played in Negro League Baseball.

Founded on February 13, 1920, the Negro leagues were professional leagues made up of African Americans and Latin Americans.

"Black women can do anything. We've proven that time and time again."

--Tarana Burke

Black women make up about 6.4 % of the entire U.S. population, according to census.gov. Nearly 250 women have been shot and killed by the police since 2015.

Black women are 243% more likely to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications than white women. Several studies have recently finished investigating the issue of medical malpractice involving Black women. There is even a wile belief in the medical field that Black women do not feel physical pain the same way as white individuals.

We need to learn from the past so history can stop repeating itself. Black women are possibly one of the most overlooked minority groups in America. Appreciate Black women. Say their names and learn their stories.

In June 1963, President John Kennedy asked Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill, induced by massive resistance to desegregation and the murder of Medgar Evers. After Kennedy's assassination in November, President Lyndon Johnson pressed hard, with the support of Roy Wilkins and Clarence Mitchell, to secure the bill's passage the following year. In 1964, Congress passed Public Law 88-352 (78 Stat. 241).

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex and race in hiring, promoting, and firing. The act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally-funded programs. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. Passage of the act ended the application of "Jim Crow" laws, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case, Plessy v. Ferguson, in which the Court held that racial segregation purported to be "separate but equal" was constitutional. The Civil Rights Act was eventually expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of these fundamental civil rights. (dol.gov)