J. Charles Jones and the JCSU Sit-Ins (c. 1960-Present)

Portrait by Taylor Turner, 2023

J. Charles Jones was a Civil Rights Activist born in 1937 in Chester, South Carolina. In 1947, his family moved to Charlotte and settled in the Biddleville neighborhood near Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), where Jones later became a divinity student. Inspired by events from his childhood, he became a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement in Charlotte and across the region.

In February 1960, around 200 students from JCSU, including Jones, engaged in sit-in protests at eight Whites-only lunch counters and restaurants in Uptown Charlotte. Inspired by the actions of NC A&T students in Greensboro, they targeted establishments including Woolworth's, Kress, McLellan's, Liggetts Drug, Belk's luncheonette, Ivey's coffee shop, and Tulip Terrace restaurant while wearing their Sunday best. These demonstrations marked a significant moment in Charlotte's civil rights history. They showcased the determination of local students to challenge racial segregation and demand equality in public spaces.