Howard University News Service

Lead Stories

Top Story

Special Report

Fifty years ago, four freshmen at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College took a stand against segregation by quietly sitting down at the F.W. Woolworth counter in downtown Greensboro, N.C. Today, 20 students from Howard University headed south to chronicle the 50th anniversary of the sit-ins in this multimedia special report, which will be updated and expanded throughout Black History Month. Full story

Greensboro Four, Jesse Jackson, Melvin Alston, museum co-founder

Sit-In Breakfast Celebrates A&T Four, Struggle for Equality

Supporters fill ballroom to break bread with A&T Four, who shared words of thanks, motivation and appreciation for non-violence at early morning breakfast. (Watch video by LeeSandre Alexandre.)

Full story

February One Statue in front of Dudley Building at North Carolina A&T.

Sit-In Survivor Challenges Others to Do More

Thousands Gather for 50th Anniversary March, Museum Opening

Franklin E. McCain, one of the North Carolina A&T freshmen who staged the F.W. Woolworth sit-in, says what he did in 1960 is not enough. McCain looks at today's opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, part of a five-day celebration, as a challenge to himself and the next generation.

Full story

Rev. Jesse Jackson at 50th anniversary sit-in town hall

Panelists From Jesse Jackson to Stephen A. Smith Debate Activism

“Youth today don’t appreciate how humiliating segregation was,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson said during a town hall on activism at North Carolina A&T State University, the first of a series of events for the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins.

Full story

“Mississippi Mourning: The Emmett Till Story” Stirs Audience

Anxious whispers transformed into dead silence as the softly lit auditorium turned pitch black. A group of terrified boys ripped through the balcony — panting, stumbling, yelling at each other to keep moving. A snowstorm was brewing in Greensboro that night, but the only thing on students' minds was why those boys were running.

Full story

Emmett Till Today

14-Year-Old's Murder Planted a Seed in Planning of Sit-Ins

It’s been 55 years since the brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett Louis Till, and the event still incites strong emotions in both whites and blacks. It was also one of the motivations for four freshmen to stage a sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth in 1960

Full story

Sit-in activists at luncheon in Greensboro, N.C.

Unsung Heroes Honored at Luncheon

Three of the original “A&T Four” returned to their alma mater Friday to be honored along with lesser-known pioneers at an “Unsung Heroes” luncheon, one of many events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sit-ins in downtown Greensboro, N.C.

Full story

Chris Bridges, Howard University RTVF student

Students Debate Obama's 1st Year, Haiti and Katrina

Eight North Carolina A&T and Howard students analyzed leadership in African-American communities during a media roundtable on Friday afternoon. Topics ranged from the earthquake in Haiti to President Barack Obama’s first year in office.

Full story

Featured Stories

Metro to Raise Fares or Cut Service to Close Budget Gap

Facing a $189 million budget gap, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority considers cutting services or raising fares for bus, rail, parking and bike storage next year.

Tiger Woods planning July 4th troops activity (public domain)

Tiger Woods Apologizes to Wife for 'Selfish' Behavior

Tiger Woods finally broke his silence this morning by taking full responsibility for his "irresponsible and selfish" behavior and apologizing to his wife, Elin.

Gerald Boyd with Robin D. Stone and son Zachary.

Gerald Boyd Memoir Offers Professional, Life Lessons

Former managing editor of the New York Times Gerald M. Boyd was three years and two drafts into writing his memoir when he died of lung cancer at the age of 56. His widow, Robin D. Stone, completed the book and said she's pleased that Boyd, forced to resign over the Jayson Blair scandal, is able "to tell his truth as he saw it.”

11 Suspects Arrested in Capitol Hill Carjackings

Police have closed four carjacking cases in a recent string of violent thefts in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, leading to the arrest of 10 juveniles and one adult suspect.

Praying for Haiti

On Jan. 1, the large Haitian congregation at Shrine of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Northwest Washington was filled with joy, celebrating the 206th year of the island country's independence. Two weeks later, however, the mood took a 180-degree after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake virtually erased Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince.

Volunteer Honors Family by Helping in Haiti

Richard Cantave, a Haitian living in Mount Vernon, N.Y., wanted to do more than watch television and make a donation. So, he packed a bag of medical supplies and food, and headed to Haiti. “Just like I did after Katrina in New Orleans, I want to head down there, suit up and start digging."

Invasive Mussels a Costly Problem for Water Authorities

A fingernail-size animal is causing multimillion dollar problems in a growing number of waterways, including the Hoover Dam. Quagga and Zebra mussels made their way to America in the early '90s on a European cargo ship. After quickly settling in Lake Erie, they later hitchhiked to Western states often on the boats of vacationers.

Capoeira at the Emergence Community Center in Mount Pleasant

Capoeira Blends Martial Arts, Music and Dance in Mount Pleasant

Eighteen dancers, some playing instruments or clapping, circle a young woman who squats while a young man gracefully swings his left leg over her head. Chanting in Portuguese, the dancers celebrate Brazilian and African culture through Capoeira.

The gala and other 50th anniversary sit-in events were postponed after six inches of snow blanketed Greensboro, N.C., over the weekend. Brittani Moncrease, reporter, and Curtis McCloud, producer, Howard University News Service.