To make this point, Gladwell tells the story of the 1960 Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in that opened a new chapter in the civil rights movement. It was something that a group of friends had discussed for nearly a month. The first young black man who asked to be served a cup of coffee at the lunch counter “was flanked by his roommate and two good friends from high school.” They had the strongest of ties. They needed these to organize against violent opposition, to change tactics, and to stay the course.
