History Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964: The Nashville Sit Ins

“It does not matter if these people are different genders, races or have different religious beliefs. As long as they are citizens, they have equal rights.(What are Civil Rights)” This quote shows where people would like to be somewhere in the near future. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 were several events that lead to the end of segregation of African Americans. The Civil Rights Acts were acts to show people that it doesn’t matter your skin color, or ethnicity, but that everyone should welcome each other as equals. One event that had a major contribution to the Civil Rights Acts were the Nashville Sit Ins. African Americans had separate counters for them because the whites thought that they weren’t as important. The Sit-Ins made it possible

The people working the counter refused to serve them food and told them to get out, but they just sat there… and sat there. During one of the Sit Ins, the 12 white men came and said leave, but they just sat there, so they started beating them up. Finally, the police showed up they asked them why they were here and they didn't respond, so the police said you get up from that counter or we will arrest you… and they still sat there. So the police had to arrest them, but while they were arresting them the other group of students came and sat down, and they got arrested to. (EOTP) This happened for a little while until, “The police arrested eighty-one protesters, but none of the attackers[were] arrested.(EOTP)” They acts of peaceful protesting, “lasted from February 13 to May 10, 1960.(Nashville Sit-Ins 1960)” However the Sit Ins were successful, “On May 10, six downtown stores opened their lunch counter for the first time.(Nashville Sit-Ins

However, African Americans put up their houses for sale to make money to get people out of jail. The society made sandwiches to feed to the people in jail.(ETOP) With the support the African American society they made it through and continued with Sit Ins. During the time of the Sit Ins a black customer boycott was taking place. It was estimated that, “Black buying power was estimated at 50 million dollars…[and] with in a month, the boycott by black customers was almost completely effective.(EOTP)” This event most likely made their society lose a lot of income so they needed African Americans to buy goods. This may have contributed to the fact that they allowed African Americans to sit down at white only counters(They needed the money). On april 19th, Dynamite was thrown from a passing car at 5:30 in the morning destroyed the home of Z Alexander Looby.(EOTP)” Z Alexander Looby was a black councilman and fortunately did not get killed by the blast. They came out from everywhere, lunchrooms, campus grounds, building, dormitories and filled Jefferson Avenue and began to march, it made a scene, but you could only hear the sound of their footsteps. They marched to the front door the City Hall and they asked Reverend CT Vivian, the mayor if he feels it is right to segregate someone just off the color of their skin and he replied by saying that no, they should not refuse a