African American students in Tallahassee protested segregated lunch counters at Woolworth's through a series of organized sit-ins that began on February 1960. These sit-ins were part of a broader civil rights movement aimed at challenging and dismantling systemic segregation and racial discrimination in public places.
The protests were led by students from Florida A&M University and other local schools. They strategically chose Woolworth’s because it was a well-known chain with a segregated lunch counter, symbolizing the broader issue of racial inequality. The students would enter the store, sit at the lunch counter, and politely request service. When they were denied service due to their race, they remained seated in a nonviolent demonstration, often facing verbal harassment, physical intimidation, and arrest.
The sit-ins attracted media attention and generated public support, leading to further protests and discussions about civil rights. These actions were pivotal in drawing attention to the injustices of segregation and helped galvanize the civil rights movement in the South. The protests at Woolworth's ultimately contributed to the desegregation of lunch counters in Tallahassee and inspired similar sit-in movements across the United States.