My Soul is Rested

One of the stories in Howell Raines' "My Soul is Rested" that has particularly stood out to me so far, is the story of Franklin McCain. McCain was one of the students that started the student sit-in movement. The courage that he and his friends had that first day at the Woolworth's lunch counter amazes me.

In my opinion, the student sit-ins movement was one of the most important parts of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. The movement spread to many different cities throughout the U.S. As the movement gained momentum, students started having shifts for the sit-ins. This movement drove out restaurant's business, as black and white students would come into the restaurant the moment that they opened, and occupy every seat for the entire day. Through their nonviolent protest, restaurants had no other choice than to desegregate lunch counters and restaurants, unless they wanted to lose all business. Overall, the student sit-in movement had great success.