A United Force

     The A&T four were four African American males who conducted the 1st lunch counter sit in on February 1, 1960 at a store called Woolworth. The night before they sat together in their doom room and planned what they were going to do as they have planned for months before. They did not want violence, they did not what to get arrested but they would if it came down to it. One strength out of many that they had was each other, they were a united front; they went in their together, they sat together, they stood up in front of the “dominate race” and demanded to be treated equal. Another strength they had was determination, they did not just go to Woolworth for only one day to sit, they came back the next day and the next day, and the next. Each day they came with a little more people till it was spreading to other cities. They had the power within them to stand up and demand justice, many do not have that kind of inner power, most people would have kept going on with the way things were out of fear, not because they wanted things to stay the same. But because many of their brothers and sisters were killed or beaten or arrested for speaking up. A privilege the A&T four had was the privilege of not getting arrested. Many others in their shoes would have been arrested or even beaten for a peaceful protest like that. One of their strengths I have is determination, I am determined in everything I do. Determined to do well in school so that I can go to a good college, determined to be successful in something I love, and determined to live a long healthy and happy life. One of their strengths I lack is a united force, most of the time it’s me on my own trying to work out life’s problems and that’s okay because it makes me a stronger person, having the world on my back and having to carry it. I am very grateful to have heard about the A&T four, to have seen them in a beautiful statue, to have be able to see the lunch counter where they changed America and feel their powerful spirit all day long in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

Makya Burden