On 22 April 1944, 200 young Black people, mostly students at Howard University, held a sit-in demonstration at Thompson's, a segregated restaurant in Washington DC – where Jim Crow laws were not in effect but segregation by custom existed. After effectively slashing the number of paying customers, the restaurant was ordered by its headquarters to begin serving Black customers. The University, in fear of losing federal grants, subsequently directed its students to cease direct action and Thompson's promptly restored segregation. One of the key organisers of the action was Pauli Murray, pictured, a young student and activist, who identified as part male and part female, and whose romantic relationships were with women.
Thompson's cafeteria sit-in - WCH | Stories
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