Sit-Ins and Freedom Riders Fight for Justice — Reading Comprehension

In the 1960s, many people in the South wanted to end unfair laws called segregation. These laws kept Black and white people apart in schools, restaurants, and buses. Young people decided to take action for justice.

In 1960, four Black college students went to a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sign said, "Whites Only." The students sat down and quietly asked for coffee. The workers refused to serve them. The students stayed calm and did not leave. This was called a sit-in. More students joined them each day. Soon, sit-ins happened in other cities, too.

These sit-ins made people notice the unfair rules. Some people yelled at the students. Others poured food on them. But the students stayed peaceful. Their bravery helped change the rules at lunch counters. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We must meet hate with love."

In 1961, another group called the Freedom Riders started a new protest. They rode buses from Washington, D.C., into the Deep South. Black and white people sat together on the buses. This was against the law in some places. Angry crowds tried to stop them. Some buses were attacked and burned. The Freedom Riders did not give up. They wanted everyone to have equal rights.

Their actions made the government see that things had to change. New laws came to end segregation in public places. These protests showed that peaceful action can make a big difference.

Interesting Fact: Some sit-ins lasted for months before the rules changed!

Where did the first sit-in happen?

Who led the new protest in 1961?

What did the Freedom Riders ride?

Why did sit-ins start?

How did the students act at sit-ins?

What happened after the protests?

Sit-ins happened in only one city. True or false?

What does 'segregation' mean?