News of the sit-in traveled quickly throughout the A&T campus. Blair, McNeil, McCain, and Richmond became heroes to the other students, and there was a groundswell of support and volunteers willing to join the cause. On February 2, 31 students from the college arrived at 10:00 a.m. to take seats at the Woolworth lunch counter. All were neatly dressed, the men in coats and ties and the women in dresses, and all had brought school materials to study.

There was no confrontation, but also no service.
The big difference between the first and second day was the extent of media coverage. On Tuesday, reporters from both local papers, a UPI representative, a bevy of photographers, and even television cameramen were present. C.L. Harris tried desperately but unsuccessfully to prevent pictures of the protest. Reporters managed to interview several of the students, and one enthusiastic youth replied, "We are prepared to keep on coming for two years if we have to."

Harris skillfully dodged persistent questions, issuing only one statement all day: "They can just sit there. It's nothing to me."