Civil rights pioneer Joseph McNeil, of the 'A&T Four', dead at age 83

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Gen. Joseph McNeil, one of the historic “A&T Four” who helped spark the sit-in movement that changed the course of the civil rights era, has died.

On Feb. 1, 1960, four freshmen from North Carolina A&T State University, Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond, walked into the whites-only lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro.

When denied service, they refused to leave, remaining at the counter until the store closed. Their courageous protest led to the desegregation of the Woolworth’s lunch counter in July 1960 and inspired similar actions across the country, leaving a lasting mark on the civil rights movement.

With McNeil’s passing, only Jibreel Khazan remains of the original four.

“Joseph A. McNe