HOUSTON – Community leaders, including Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Houston NAACP President Bishop James W. Dixon, will gather today to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Texas Southern University (TSU) students' sit-in, a pivotal event in Houston’s desegregation history.
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On March 4, 1960, thirteen TSU students organized a sit-in at a local Weingarten’s supermarket, now the site of a U.S. post office, marking a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement. This act of civil disobedience not only challenged the status quo but also paved the way for desegregation in Houston.
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The commemoration will begin with a news conference at TSU General Service Building, 3443 Blodgett St. Houston, at 2P.M., followed by a bus tour hosted by Commissioner Ellis’s office. The tour will visit the historical marker that honors the TSU students' protest and sit-in.
The event will celebrate the legacy of protesting and highlight its crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the ongoing importance of resistance against current threats to justice and equity at both state and federal levels.
The sit-ins at TSU were part of a broader movement across the United States where African American students challenged segregation laws by sitting at “whites-only” lunch counters and public spaces. These protests were instrumental in raising awareness and pushing for legislative changes that would eventually lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As Texas Southern University past, present and future gather today to celebrate the resilience the thirteen students took when they took a stand against segregation, this event will serve as a reminder of the power of collective action and the enduring fight for civil rights and social justice.
If you would love to view this event, but not able to attend in person, you can live stream here.
