The Savannah Boycott examines the Sit-Ins and Boycott that took place from March 1960 to May 1961 through the voices of those who took part in the movement.

By reviewing personal testimonies and community writings, students will explore the collective actions that community members took to make lasting change in their community.

Students will learn from the recollections of Savannah residents and primary sources selected from the museum archive.

Objectives:

After completing the lesson students will be better able to:

- Examine spoken testimony for facts and personal feelings.
- Identify the collective actions that the community took to make the boycott successful.
- Discuss the choices that they make.
- Use the museum's resources as a way to explore the decisions that individuals make that can impact the greater community.

Subjects:

History
- Savannah history
- Education
Language Arts
- Sharing a personal narrative
- Summarizing an interview

Age Levels:

- Elementary (9 to 12 years old)
- Middle School (13 to 15 years old)
- High School (16 to 18 years old)
- College (18+ years old)

Activities

Sit-In Newspaper Article

On March 16, 1960, three brave students were arrested after politely asking to be served at the Levy's department store lunch counter. Read a newspaper from our archive that was published the next day to learn how the Mayor and city government responded.

Learn More

Sit-In Exhibit Viewing

Explore the museum's sit-in exhibit. Put yourself in the shoes of a student protestor during one of the earliest sit-in protests in the country.

Learn More

Savannah Civil Rights Leader Testimonies

Watch three interviews of Savannah civil rights leaders that took part in the Savannah Boycott and Sit-In protests. What difficulties did they face? How did they and the community band together to overcome their struggle.

Learn More

NAACP Sunday Mass Meeting

Sunday Mass Meetings were weekly gatherings at churches throughout the Black community where members shared news, material goods and gospel songs. Watch an interview by Carolyn Quillion Coleman, civil rights activist, and read a newspaper article from The Herald, a local Black-owned newspaper, to learn about the important role that Sunday Mass Meetings played in the Savannah Civil Rights Movement.

Learn More