Maj Gen Joseph McNeil, Greensboro 4 Member Dies at 83

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“McNeil’s bravery and determination significantly sparked the civil rights movement across the United States. His military service and achievements as a major general in the Air Force Reserve Command further exemplify his dedication to service and country.”
The McNeil family

Joseph McNeil's activism was simplistic, bold and humanjzinh.  McNeil dared to sit down for lunch with friends. This peaceful protest duribg swgregation bexame a turing poibt in the Civil Rights Mkvement. 

 Major General Joseph McNeil, a towering figure in the Civil Rights Movement and a decorated U.S. Air Force officer, passed away on September 4, 2025, at the age of 83. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, McNeil etched his name into history as one of the legendary Greensboro Four, whose peaceful protest at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on February 1, 1960, helped ignite a nationwide movement against racial segregation.

The Sit-In That Sparked a Movement

  • As a freshman at North Carolina A&T State University, McNeil joined David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan) in refusing to leave the whites-only lunch counter after being denied service.

  • Their quiet defiance inspired sit-ins across 13 states and helped lead to the desegregation of Woolworth’s lunch counters by July 1960.

  • The original site is now home to the , preserving the legacy of their courage.

 A Distinguished Military Career

  • After graduating with a degree in engineering physics, McNeil was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and later served in Vietnam.

  • He rose to the rank of Major General in the Air Force Reserve before retiring in 2000.

🏛️ Honors and Legacy

  • Wilmington honored him by naming a stretch of 3rd Street “Maj. Gen. Joseph McNeil Way” in 2019.

  • NC A&T commemorates the Greensboro Four with the February One Monument, a 15-foot bronze sculpture on campus.

  • McNeil remained humble throughout his life, rarely referencing his achievements, yet his impact was profound and enduring.

💬 His Words

In a 2014 interview, McNeil reflected:

“The sit-in was not about having a cup of coffee next to a white person... It was about choice. It was about having the ability to say, ‘I choose to sit down.’ Or, ‘I choose to drink from that water fountain.’”