 and students at Johns Hopkins were protesting the fact that a restaurant called the Bluebird Diner wouldn't serve Blacks. They pleaded with Ellington to join them in their sit-in, and Duke said no. They pretty please pleaded with him to join the sit-in, and he said no. They asked a third time, and he said yes. The headlines the next day across the world were Duke Ellington integrates Baltimore Diner.