Bearing the Cross Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 3, SNCC, the Kennedys, and the Freedom Rides, 1960-1961 Summary

Chapter 3, SNCC, the Kennedys, and the Freedom Rides, 1960-1961 Summary and Analysis

On February 1, 1960, four college students in Greensboro, North Carolina staged a sit-in at a local lunch counter. Word of their actions spread, and the next day more students joined the protest. Within a few days, the protests spread throughout the major cities of North Carolina and into South Carolina. At the time, King was getting his family settled in Atlanta where he was set to become assistant pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, his father's church. As soon as he felt comfortable leaving his family, King traveled to Durham with Abernathy to meet with some of the sit-in leaders. King made speeches to groups of the protestors, stressing to them that they must not forget that their struggle was about justice, not black versus white. King also suggested that if the students were arrested, they should serve their time rather than pay a fine that would continue to support segregation.