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GREENSBORO, N.C. -
The co-owner of a women's store on Elm St. had a front-row seat for the Greensboro sit-in and the demonstrations that followed in 1960.
"We heard there was a commotion at Woolworth's, so naturally we walked out here to see what was going on," Leonard Guyes, who was working on Feb. 1, 1960, said recently during an interview on Elm St.
In the 60s, Guyes was a prominent businessman and the co-owner of the popular Prago-Guyes women's store in the Dixie Building, situated across the street from the Woolworth's.
Guyes felt the four black students from North Carolina A&T had a right to be served at the Woolworth's lunch count, since African-Americans weren't discriminated against in his store.
"I would say 30 to 40 percent of our clientele was African-American," he recalled.
But there was a double standard. Blacks shopped in stores, but didn't eat at restaurants. The Greensboro Four -- who were known as the A&T Four at the time -- were allowed to shop at Woolworth's.
Guyes himself often walked across the street and at at Woolworth's, usually for breakfast.
"Retailwise, they were accepted in all stores. The difference -- when they went to Kress, Woolworth's, Myers -- was they couldn't eat. That was off-limits for them," said Guyes.
The sit-in of Feb. 1 spawned more sit-ins and demonstrations at Woolworth's and other locations in downtown Greensboro, all of which played out before Guyes' eyes.
"(There was a) huge amount of commotion. Police were everywhere to help the crowds from getting out of control. We were convinced there was going to be a riot," he said.
Because of the unrest, a special commission of business leaders, includes Guyes, was set up. The commission's role was to negotiate common ground between business owners and civil rights activitsts.
"We agreed it was time that they needed to open the lunch counter," remembered Guyes, and commission members urged all restaurants to desegregate.
"That didn't happen for weeks, maybe months ... a couple of months. Finally, there was capitulation and agreement, and they agreed to serve," he said.
In fact, it was almost six months from the original sit-in until Woolworth's was integrated. Most downtown restaurants followed.
"This is where it started. You gotta admire those four guys. Brave? Very," he said.
"We heard there was a commotion at Woolworth's, so naturally we walked out here to see what was going on," Leonard Guyes, who was working on Feb. 1, 1960, said recently during an interview on Elm St.
In the 60s, Guyes was a prominent businessman and the co-owner of the popular Prago-Guyes women's store in the Dixie Building, situated across the street from the Woolworth's.
Guyes felt the four black students from North Carolina A&T had a right to be served at the Woolworth's lunch count, since African-Americans weren't discriminated against in his store.
"I would say 30 to 40 percent of our clientele was African-American," he recalled.
But there was a double standard. Blacks shopped in stores, but didn't eat at restaurants. The Greensboro Four -- who were known as the A&T Four at the time -- were allowed to shop at Woolworth's.
Guyes himself often walked across the street and at at Woolworth's, usually for breakfast.
"Retailwise, they were accepted in all stores. The difference -- when they went to Kress, Woolworth's, Myers -- was they couldn't eat. That was off-limits for them," said Guyes.
The sit-in of Feb. 1 spawned more sit-ins and demonstrations at Woolworth's and other locations in downtown Greensboro, all of which played out before Guyes' eyes.
"(There was a) huge amount of commotion. Police were everywhere to help the crowds from getting out of control. We were convinced there was going to be a riot," he said.
Because of the unrest, a special commission of business leaders, includes Guyes, was set up. The commission's role was to negotiate common ground between business owners and civil rights activitsts.
"We agreed it was time that they needed to open the lunch counter," remembered Guyes, and commission members urged all restaurants to desegregate.
"That didn't happen for weeks, maybe months ... a couple of months. Finally, there was capitulation and agreement, and they agreed to serve," he said.
In fact, it was almost six months from the original sit-in until Woolworth's was integrated. Most downtown restaurants followed.
"This is where it started. You gotta admire those four guys. Brave? Very," he said.
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