The LeMoyne-Owen College Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences celebrated the 65th anniversary of the first sit-ins led by LeMoyne and Owen Junior College students in 1960. The students were invited to return to be recognized for their bold actions, which resulted in them being arrested at Cossitt Library and other public facilities.
Seven of the students returned to the chapel service at LeMoyne-Owen College on March 19, 2025, exactly 65 years later, to be celebrated and welcomed by President Christopher Davis and share their experiences with the current students at LeMoyne-Owen.
A highlight of the celebration for the former students was revisiting the location of the first sit-in at Cossitt Library, the segregated public facility where Black people were not allowed to enter in 1960. The following day, some of the students also visited Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Pink Palace Mansion where many of them were also arrested. The former sit-in students participated in a panel discussion attended by current students and community members.
The commemoration was organized by Alexis Griggs, chair of the LOC Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences, and Peggy J. Lee, criminal justice instructor.
— By Elaine Lee Turner, Special to The Tri-State Defender
