Franklin Eugene McCain was born in Union County, North Carolina, in 1942, and raised in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Eastern High School in 1959 and attended North Carolina A&T State University. McCain and three other A&T freshmen, now known as the “Greensboro Four,” are credited with initiating the sit-in movement when they sat down at the F. W. Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro on February 1, 1960 and requested service. McCain also participated in the negotiations between the student protestors, Woolworth’s management, and the Human Relations Commission.
The protests took place at this Woolworth five-and-dime store.
The protests took place at this Woolworth five-and-dime store.
