Civil Rights Icon and Greensboro Four Member Passes Away

Major General Joseph McNeil, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement and one of the original Greensboro Four, has passed away at the age of 83.

A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, McNeil was a student at North Carolina A&T State University in 1960 when he helped spark a nationwide movement. On February 1 of that year, McNeil, along with fellow students David Richmond, Frank McCain, and Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), staged a peaceful sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro. Their refusal to leave their seats challenged racial segregation and inspired similar demonstrations across the country.

The site of that historic protest is now the home of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, preserving the legacy of the sit-in that helped reshape American history.

Following his time at NC A&T, where he earned a degree in engineering physics, McNeil served with distinction in the U.S. Air Force, eventually attaining the rank of major general.

Joseph McNeil leaves behind a legacy of courage, leadership, and unwavering commitment to justice that continues to inspire generations.