By the end of the 1950s, several American cities had experienced non-violent civil rights protests, resulting in legal and political backlash of varying intensity. Although Chattanooga had a long history of civil rights activism, the mid 20th-century movement had not yet touched the daily life of the city. On the afternoon of Friday, February 19, 1960, however, thirty local African-American high school students walked into three downtown Chattanooga variety stores and quietly took seats at their traditionally segregated lunch counters. Many of those involved in the demonstration were seniors in the Howard High School class of 1960. The 2008 History Makers Award spotlights those courageous individuals.


http://wtcitv.org/watch-online/history-makers/howard-high-school-class-of-1960/