Royal Ice Cream sit-in

The Royal Ice Cream sit-in was a nonviolent protest in Durham, North Carolina, that led to a court case on the legality of segregated facilities. The demonstration took place on June 23, 1957 when a group of African American protesters, led by Reverend Douglas E. Moore, entered the Royal Ice Cream Parlor and sat in the section reserved for white patrons.[1] When asked to move, the protesters refused and were arrested for trespassing.[1] The case was appealed unsuccessfully to the County and State Superior Courts.[2][3][4]

The sit-in sparked debates within the African American communities in Durham about the strategies of civil rights activism.[5] It also helped to spark future protests such as the Greensboro sit-ins and to promote coordination among African American civil rights activists across the Southeast.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Negroes Fined In Dairy Bar Case," The Durham Morning Herald, June 24, 1957.
  2. ^ "Ice Cream Bar Case: Six Get Stiffer Rap on Appeal," The Carolina Times, July 20, 1957, 1.
  3. ^ Jose Stuntz, "White Jury Selected To Try 'White Side' Ice Cream Case," The Durham Morning Herald, July 17, 1957.
  4. ^ "Negroes Lose In Trespass Case Appeal," the Durham Morning Herald, January 11, 1958.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Greene_67 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Morris (1981), p. 27