John Gaines, civil rights leader and member of Friendship Nine, has died

ROCK HILL, S.C. — John Gaines, a civil rights leader from South Carolina who made history during a sit-in at a Rock Hill restaurant, has died.

The Ideal Funeral Parlor in Florence confirmed to Channel 9 on Monday that Gaines passed away.

Gaines was one of the Friendship Nine, a group of college friends who were arrested during a sit-in at McCrory’s Five and Dime in Rock Hill on Jan. 31, 1961. At the time, it was a store and lunch counter, that did not serve Black people.

Gaines, Thomas Gaither, Clarence Henry Graham, W.T. Dub Massey, Robert McCullough, Mack Workman, James Well, David Williamson Jr., and Willie McCleod were all convicted of trespassing.

SEE THE STORY >> Member of ‘Friendship 9’ recalls fateful day that changed history

Their arrests helped spark a revolution - after their sentence at the York County Prison Farm, more people participated in sit-ins and marches around Rock Hill.

Five decades later, in 2015, each of those convictions were dismissed.

McCrory’s is now a restaurant called Kounter, and there’s a seat inside dedicated to the Friendship Nine and the stand they made.

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