NC Civil Rights Trail sign that says "Watts Grill: Black and white students & professors subjected to violence and arrests during sit-ins in 1964. Last local restaurant to integrate. NC African American Heritage Commission William C Pomery Foundation 2023"

1964 Sit-Ins at Watts Grill

On September 23, 2023, a new North Carolina Civil Rights Trail marker was placed outside Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Chapel Hill, NC. The marker commemorates the 1964 Watts Grill sit-ins, which took place at Watts Restaurant and Motel on the stretch of highway where the church now stands. Calvin history alum William Snoeyink ('18) researched and wrote a short history of the events for his church website. The post below contains an excerpt from his work. Read the full story on the Holy Trinity Anglican Church website.

April 4, 50 Years Out

by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. Fifty years. Fifty years since the shot rang out. Since Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Over the years there has been a lot of reflection on the legacy of King, our “inconvenient hero.” But 50 years out, how do we confront …

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