ABSTRACT
The sit-in movement spread rapidly across the South. Always dressed nicely, acting politely, some students read Henry David Thoreau's classic essay Civil Disobedience while others read the Bible. The sit-ins were the first phase of the national Civil Rights Movement, and the reasons for that activism had been clear for some years. In the land of the free, some citizens were more free than others, although all were guaranteed the same liberties by the US Constitution. Sit-ins were the first example of that tactic in the sixties, and they not only integrated lunch counters, but also stimulated many more students to become activists. They formed an organization, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and they began calling their activism a new name: the movement. Senator John Kennedy inspired many during his bid for the Democratic nomination. Previously, Kennedy had not displayed much support for civil rights, but the sit-ins forced the candidate to consider the issue.
