This thesis examines the sit-in demonstrations that used direct action and civil disobedience to target segregation at store lunch counters. The Nashville demonstrations were the last sit-in protests to occur that are discussed in this thesis, which also examines the protests in Wichita and Greensboro. Historians argue that the Wichita and Greensboro sit-ins were the most important demonstrations of their kind. The movement in Wichita was the first protest to end segregation policies at targeted stores, and the Greensboro protests led to a direct action movement in over fifty other cities targeting lunch counters. However, the Nashville based sit-ins surpassed the other two cities in planning and organization, demonstrations, and ending results following the protests. This thesis will provide a historical analysis of events in America’s past that led to the sit-in movement; the thesis will also examine the movements within the three cities.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis examines the sit-in demonstrations that used direct action and civil disobedience to target segregation at store lunch counters. The Nashville demonstrations were the last sit-in protests to occur that are discussed in this thesis, which also examines the protests in Wichita and Greensboro. Historians argue that the Wichita and Greensboro sit-ins were the most important demonstrations of their kind. The movement in Wichita was the first protest to end segregation policies at targeted stores, and the Greensboro protests led to a direct action movement in over fifty other cities targeting lunch counters. However, the Nashville based sit-ins surpassed the other two cities in planning and organization, demonstrations, and ending results following the protests. This thesis will provide a historical analysis of events in America’s past that led to the sit-in movement; the thesis will also examine the movements within the three cities.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Owens, Aaron M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:06Z","subjects":["Nashville","Greensboro","Wichita","sit-ins","non-violence","United States History"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1210","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Owens, Aaron M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-07-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Nashville","Greensboro","Wichita","sit-ins","non-violence","United States History"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2392/viewcontent/OwensA080813f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1210"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis examines the sit-in demonstrations that used direct action and civil disobedience to target segregation at store lunch counters. The Nashville demonstrations were the last sit-in protests to occur that are discussed in this thesis, which also examines the protests in Wichita and Greensboro. Historians argue that the Wichita and Greensboro sit-ins were the most important demonstrations of their kind. The movement in Wichita was the first protest to end segregation policies at targeted stores, and the Greensboro protests led to a direct action movement in over fifty other cities targeting lunch counters. However, the Nashville based sit-ins surpassed the other two cities in planning and organization, demonstrations, and ending results following the protests. This thesis will provide a historical analysis of events in America’s past that led to the sit-in movement; the thesis will also examine the movements within the three cities.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["“The Price of a Woolworth’s Burger:” The Importance and Overshadowing of the Nashville Sit-Ins"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Owens, Aaron M"],"dc:date.available":["2013-07-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis examines the sit-in demonstrations that used direct action and civil disobedience to target segregation at store lunch counters. The Nashville demonstrations were the last sit-in protests to occur that are discussed in this thesis, which also examines the protests in Wichita and Greensboro. Historians argue that the Wichita and Greensboro sit-ins were the most important demonstrations of their kind. The movement in Wichita was the first protest to end segregation policies at targeted stores, and the Greensboro protests led to a direct action movement in over fifty other cities targeting lunch counters. However, the Nashville based sit-ins surpassed the other two cities in planning and organization, demonstrations, and ending results following the protests. This thesis will provide a historical analysis of events in America’s past that led to the sit-in movement; the thesis will also examine the movements within the three cities.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2392/viewcontent/OwensA080813f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1210"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Nashville","Greensboro","Wichita","sit-ins","non-violence","United States History"],"dc:title":["“The Price of a Woolworth’s Burger:” The Importance and Overshadowing of the Nashville Sit-Ins"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:06Z"}