BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

In protest of the treatment African Americans received in a segregated society, sit-ins were effective non-violent protests, shut down businesses for several hours.

Some young adults and students who participated in the sit-ins in Tampa included now prominent Tampa residents, Arthenia Joyner, Gwen Miller, Clarence Fort, Delano Stewart, and Walter Smith, among others.

For decades, the Woolworth and Kress 5¢ and 10¢ Stores have been vacant. Now, the owners of the property are in the process of redeveloping it. However, they are seeking ideas from the community on how to memorialize the historic site.
City Councilman Frank Reddick said the developers want to include the suggestions from the community when they appear before Council next month.

“The lunch counters are gone, but the buildings are still there. The developers want to memorialize those two stores and they are asking for suggestions from the community. They want to find a way to preserve the history of the sit-ins,” Councilman Reddick said.

The first successful sit-in took place in Baltimore in the mid 1950s, Maryland, followed by another in Witchita, Kansas. By February 1, 1960, sit-ins were taking place throughout the United States.

Councilman Reddick is asking anyone wishing to submit a suggestion to send it to him by March 21, 2012 at  Frank.Reddick@TampaGov.net.