The Woolworth’s restaurant downtown Greensboro where four A&T students helped to change history by starting a movement was opened as the International Civil Rights Center & Museum on the 50th anniversary of the sit-ins on February 1 of this year.

On February 1, 1960, four freshman A&T students, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), and Joseph McNeil walked to Woolworth’s and sat down at a “whites-only” counter. Their actions were a model that proved the effectiveness of non-violent protest that helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement.

This past week A&T students were given an opportunity to make a little history of their own. In an email that was sent out last Tuesday, A&T students were told of a contest that asked them to create an original name for a special blend of coffee that will be sold at the museum.

Although a Starbucks store will not actually be in the museum, the coffee will be sold in the museum’s gift shop. Keeping the events of February 1, 1960 in mind was an important part of the contest, and the email sent out mentioned the significance of the sit-ins.

Students were allowed to submit as many coffee flavor names as they wanted via a URL that was included in the email. If a winning name were submitted more than once, the first person to submit the name would be notified as the winner. The contest was only open to students who are enrolled this semester at the campus.

A&T sophomore Adrian Ezell Broadcast Journalism major from Durham said, “I don’t feel like that’s a good way to keep it in light of A&T Four. Personally I don’t see how it’s keeping anything memorable. I feel like to understand the history you actually have to learn about it, and not just buy a cup of coffee.”

He also said that he would probably buy it to help out.  “I feel like their hearts are in the right place.” That was the general feeling of students who answered.

“I don’t drink coffee, but I would buy it once just to support,” Nisha Streeter a junior Business Management Major from Harlem, New York stated. However, there were a few that did not agree with the contest.

“Not everybody drinks coffee. I do agree with the whole idea that people need to get involved but I personally wouldn’t get involved because I don’t drink coffee,” said freshman Computer Science student Marcus Jeffrey.

Starbucks will also be opening soon at A&T. The Office of Food and Auxiliary said that the opening date will be around the second week of April.

They are currently constructing the space that used to hold Freshens in preparation for the store.

The contest closed at noon on Friday and the winner will be notified before March 31, 2010. The coffee name will only be featured at the museum location and not at all Starbucks branches. Any questions concerning the contest can be answered through the Office of University Relations by calling (336) 256-0863. 

• Noma Vilane