Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise stop to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in downtown Greensboro on her visit to Greensboro on Monday, April 19.

 Earlier in the day, Harris spoke at Guilford Technical Community College and toured Thomas Built Buses.  Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, one of the founders of the museum, was with Harris that morning and invited her to see the museum – and he said he was delighted she accepted the invitation.

Her appearance at the civil rights museum wasn’t publicly announced.  However, by 4 p.m., downtown Greensboro was full of police, bomb-sniffing dogs, Secret Service agents and large black SUVs.

During her visit to the museum, Harris sat at the historic lunch counter where four North Carolina A&T State University students sat in 1960 and started the national civil rights Sit-In Movement. 

Harris also took a whirlwind tour of the museum. 

At one point in the visit, the Secret Service let an entourage of national media traveling with Harris in briefly to take pictures, though the Secret Service kept the Rhino Times from entering the room.  

Alston said later that they did not allow him to take pictures during Harris’s visit to the museum but that some official photos would be provided later.

He also said that he was very pleased that Harris made the stop, which will help draw national attention to the museum. 

Some of Harris’ admirers had caught wind that she would be stopping by the museum and a small group waited in the lobby to catch a glimpse of Harris as she entered and exited from a side door. 

A hearty Harris paused and waved, and, from a distance, asked how everyone was doing.  One of the well-wishers shouted back, “We love you!”

One Secret Service agent told the Rhino Times that Harris’ visit would not be long because “She’s got a plane to catch,” referring to Air Force Two sitting at Piedmont Triad International Airport.  The agent thought a moment, and then added, “Of course, it will wait for her.”