Thomas Gaither, Who Chose Jail After Civil Rights Sit-ins, Dies at 86

Thomas Gaither, Who Chose Jail After Civil Rights Sit-ins, Dies at 86

The sit-in movement that began at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., in 1960 and soon spread to other cities, pricking the nation’s conscience over racial segregation, was in danger of losing momentum one year later. In Rock Hill, S.C., local businesses still refused to integrate, despite the sit-ins. The local news no longer covered them. Then, in 1961, a 22-year-old organizer, Thomas Gaither, introduced a new tactic. In the next …