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Granddaughter of Greensboro Four member reflects on family's legacy

Most people know Franklin McCain as a Civil Rights activist, but Taylor McCain knew him as, 'granddaddy.'

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Most people know Franklin McCain as a Civil Rights activist - one of the Greensboro Four who started the sit-in movement on February first, 1960. But Taylor McCain knew him as, 'granddaddy' and learned about what happened 61 years ago at school.

"I saw it in a textbook and when I saw it in the textbook I saw my last name and I was like, 'what the heck?!' and then you see a picture and you're like, 'oh, this is my grandad!'" Taylor said. "It matched all the pictures in my house and it's just a time when all of your peers are learning about it in elementary school and you're just like, 'Wow, this is a part of me. I'm part of the McCain legacy,' and being able to see that in a textbook and now museums, it's just crazy."

Taylor says her grandfather taught her much more than you can find in an elementary school textbook or a museum exhibit - he made sure his grandchildren knew how to make a change in their community, just as he did.

"He didn't want us to wait for the masses and I think that's one thing we need to continue to do – is not wait for the masses and continue to react and be strategic and thoughtful of the reactions we take in order to be able to see the changes that we want to see."

Each year on first day of February, Taylor reflects on the courage of her grandfather and she's glad to see others doing the same.

"Just being able to see how the picture of the Greensboro Four circulated across the country yesterday, or on every February One, shows that Greensboro is making a difference. They are setting the tone for how we can be history makers," Taylor said.

Years ago, Taylor saw her grandfather's legacy in a history book - today she sees it as a call to action.

"I think that what they did is an example that no one is too young to act. No one is too young to act and everyone's way of acting is different."

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