Man reflects on historic sit-in

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Feb. 1 will forever be remembered as the day four men took a seat at the all white Woolworth counter and changed history. It is a story most of us know, but we often don’t hear about the people who witnessed it.

Charles Bess was 23 years old worked behind the counter as a busboy. He was working his regularly scheduled shift the day the Greensboro Four decided to make a change.

“They were asked to leave and they didn’t get up,” he said. “That’s when a waitress walked up to them and said we don’t serve colored folks here.”

He says he was very proud of those men and even prouder that nearly six months later, he was able to sit at that same counter.