Joseph McNeil, ‘Greensboro Four’ civil rights pioneer, dies at 83

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Civil Rights icon who shaped history from a lunch counter in Greensboro has died.

Major General Joseph McNeil, a Wilmington native, died at the age of 83, North Carolina A&T State University confirmed to FOX8 on Thursday.

“McNeil’s bravery and determination significantly sparked the civil rights movement across the United States. His military service and achievements as a major general in the Air Force Reserve Command further exemplify his dedication to service and country.”
The McNeil family

“Joseph A. McNeil’s legacy is a testament to the power of courage and conviction,” said Joseph McNeil Jr. “His impact on the civil rights movement and his service to the nation will never be forgotten.”

The family says that a tribute to honor his life and legacy will be announced separately. Anyone wishing to pay their respects “may consider donating to organizations supporting civil rights and social justice.”

McNeil was one of four Black freshmen from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina, today known as North Carolina A&T State University, who sat down at the segregated lunch counter at the Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro and asked to be served on Feb. 1, 1960. When staff refused to serve them, they refused to leave.

The university released a statement in the wake of McNeil’s passing, saying in part, “Despite health challenges, Maj. Gen. McNeil came back to A&T this past February to mark the 65^th anniversary of the sit-in at the annual breakfast honoring the A&T Four. The audience at the breakfast gave him a standing ovation.”

Joseph McNeil and his fellow North Carolina A&T classmates inspired a nation with their courageous, peaceful protest, powerfully embodying the idea that young people could change the world. His leadership and the example of the A&T Four continue to inspire our students today. The North Carolina A&T family mourns his passage, but celebrates his long and incredible life and the legacy he leaves behind.
Chancellor James R. Martin II.

McNeil and the other three, Ezell Blair Jr. (who later changed his name to Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond and Franklin McCain became known as the Greensboro Four as this act of protest caught national attention, kicking off the sit-in movement across the segregated South.

McNeil went on to serve in the United States Air Force, serving in Vietnam and eventually earning the rank of major general before retiring. He also worked with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Greensboro Four

The four young men were reportedly inspired by the nonviolent protest techniques of Mahatma Gandhi and the murder of Emmett Till, as well as the Freedom Rides movement, when they began their protests.

It was a carefully planned demonstration, according to the History Channel, and the students worked with a local white businessman who contacted the local media about the protest. The students remained in their seats until the business closed.

Similar sit-ins had been organized as early as 1958, but the Greensboro sit-ins drew intense media coverage, serving to propel the civil rights movement onto the national stage.

By Feb. 5, hundreds of students were joining in on the protest, and the sit-ins were spreading, including to the Woolworth’s in neighboring Winston-Salem, which is now being renovated into an event space to preserve the history made by Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University students.

By the end of March, the sit-ins had spread to 13 states, and, by the end of that summer, many places had begun to change their segregation policies.

The Greensboro Woolworth’s desegregated its lunch counters in July 1960. Four Black employees were the first to be served.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was formed in April, hoping to capitalize on the momentum of the sit-ins. Throughout the 60s, the SNCC had a hand in defining moments of the Civil Rights Movement, including Freedom Rides and the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. The organization became more militant throughout the 60s and became essentially defunct by the 1970s.

Today, the site of the Woolworth’s location in Greensboro serves as the home of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, located at 134 S. Elm Street, and a restored version of the Woolworth’s lunch counter is on display.

A portion of the original counter can be found at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

According to a 2014 News & Record article, Khazan moved to Massachusetts in the 1960s. Local media in New Bedford, where he lives, dedicated a statue and a park to him in 2021 to honor his courage and impact on the nation.

David Richmond died of lung cancer in 1990. He left A&T before completing his secondary education and working various jobs. He lived in Franklin for a time before returning to Greensboro.

Franklin McCain graduated from A&T and spent 35 years working as a chemist in Charlotte. He also served on the board of governors for the UNC system. He died in 2014 at the age of 73.