Years before the sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro helped spark the widespread civil rights movement of the 1960s, there was a sit-in at the Royal Ice Cream Parlor in Durham.
In 1957, a group of Black civil rights activists sat in the "whites only" section of the ice cream shop — they were arrested and convicted of trespassing by an all-white jury. At the time, the protest and the case gained little attention beyond the Black press. Today, the Royal Ice Cream sit-in is credited with sparking a movement of desegregation across Durham, and beyond.
Virginia Williams, 87, was a member of the "Royal Seven" and she was honored recently at an ice cream social called "Sweet Justice" at Northstar Church of the Arts in Durham. Co-host Leoneda Inge talks with Williams and several attendees inspired by Williams' activism and legacy.
Guest
Virginia Williams, member of the "Royal Seven" protestors
