Lunch Counter Waitress sound portrait

Visit Lunch Counter Waitress sound portrait at www.soundportraits.com and listen or read real life stories.


Why is it important to hear the story in the waitress’ own words?• Read the transcript - how is reading the transcript different from listening to the audio?• Re-tell the story in your own words, as if you are writing to an audience that has never heard of the incident before. What details are important to capture?


It is important to hear the story of the Woolworth’s Lunch-Counter Waitress, Geneva Tisdale, (Lunch Counter Waitress sound portrait) in her own words, because she gives meaning and truth to the story. She also brings life to her story, and it always helps to hear a story from the real person.

Reading the transcript does not have the same impact as listening to the audio recording of the Lunch-Counter Waitress as told by Mrs. Tisdale. When reading the transcript vs. listening to the audio you do not hear Mrs. Tisdale’s laugh, and that shows more emotion then just reading the transcript. You can experience a little of what she goes through during the time that is spoken of by listening to the emotion in her voice.

During the civil rights movement in 1960, at a luncheonette at Woolworth’s Greensboro, NC, Geneva Tisdale at 19 years old washed dishes if they needed washed, made sandwiches if that was needed, and did anything her boss told her to do.

At this time, African-Americans were segregated in the use of the same restaurants, bathrooms, and they were not allowed to serve food in a white restaurant.

At the Woolworth’s lunch counter there was not a sign prohibiting African-Americans from eating at the counter, but people just knew that as a silent policy.

On February 1, 1960, four freshmen from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina sat down at this counter. Working at the lunch counter that day was Mrs. Tisdale. Mrs. Tisdale thought at first that it was someone making a joke until she realized that they were serious in being served.

The freshmen tried to order a piece of pie and coffee. The white waitresses just kept passing by the young men, and telling them that they could not serve them.

Geneva Tisdale was expecting her third child at the time and her boss sent her home to wait out the sit-ins. As the days ran on more and more African-Americans came to protest, and by the sixth day thousands of people came to protest. The lunch counter shut down for two weeks, and when it reopened it was still segregated.

For five months, the student and Woolworth negotiated. The store finally changed its policy, and allowed African-Americans to be served at their lunch counter.

Mrs. Tisdale and other African-American workers were told to come to work on July 25, 1960 in their uniforms, but to bring a change of clothes. When they arrived at work they were told to go change into their other clothes, and walk around the store with shopping bags. Then they were told to come to the lunch counter and order something fast to eat. If they didn’t order something fast, reporters would show up taking their pictures and Mrs. Tisdale did not want to be in the paper.

So, they ate fast and left. They went upstairs to change back into their work clothes and went back to work. No one knew that they were the first African-American’s to eat at the lunch counter that day.

More then 30 years later, Mrs. Tisdale says that she has not eaten at the lunch counter, but she would have liked to bring her grandchildren there to eat. Unfortunately, she will not get the chance as Woolworth’s lunch counter has closed. The stored closed later.

Mrs. Tisdale worked for the lunch counter at Woolworth for 42 years, and her wage was five dollars and fifty cents. She talks about the civil rights movement and what has not changed. She feels that if a white person had held the same position they would have made more money on the hour then she did.