On February 1, 1960, four college students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College staged a non-violent protest at Woolworth's segregated lunch counter. They carefully planned their protest and even had help planning from a white businessman. On February 1 there were four protesters. By February 5, there were 300. This led to the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC). Many of the protesters were arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace, but none of them ever resisted or retaliated.
The leaders of the civil rights movement carefully trained young activists to resist segregation without resorting to violence. These activists participated in non-violent protests throughout the South, inspired by the sit-in at Woolworth's.