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First Large Scale Sit-In
124 students were refused to be served lunch in downtown Nashville. They sat for two hours in the stores, causing economic hardship on the merchants. The black community supported their actions. -
Fourth Sit-In
This time, white youths gathered to taunt the demonstrators. There were no police, and some people attacked the demonstrators. Police arrived and arrested demonstrating students for disorderly conduct and loitering. -
Trials for arrested students
2000 people showed up to the trials to support the students. The loitering charges were dismissed, but all of the students were convicted of disorderly conduct and fined $50. The students chose to serve in the county workhouse instead. There was a lot of tension in the city. -
Looby Residence Bombing
The house of the defending lawyer for the students was bombed with dynamite. Alexander Looby and his wife were not hurt, but the house was seriously damaged as were nearby buildings. This event incited a march to the mayor's front steps, where the mayor was accused of ignoring the issue of violence and segregation. -
MLK Jr. Visits Nashville.
MLK Jr. came to Nashville the day after the bombing and spoke at Fisk University. He praised the sit-in movement and said it gave him inspiration to keep pushing for desegregation. -
Desegregation begins
Secret meetings between merchants and protest leaders began the end of segregation in the shops. On May 10 the first black customers ate at the shops without incidence, and over time more and more integration was allowed. Integration was still protested for at different public facilities until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.