By 1963, the Civil Rights Movement had become a major fixture in American society. Protests and demonstrations in the name of racial equality were being held across the country. In New York, one of the greatest areas for discrimination was employment, and Brooklyn CORE took this issue seriously. The construction at Brooklyn's Downstate Medical Center in 1963 was supposed to be a major boost for Brooklyn's economy, providing years of employment for laborers and construction workers. Unfortunately, the majority of the jobs were given to unions that were "unavailable" to black workers.

In response, CORE joined with the Black Ministers Coalition and other organizations to stage a major sit-in at the construction site. On July 15, 1963, fourteen of Brooklyn's African American ministers arrived at Downstate with over 75 parishioners to picket. In the weeks that followed, several hundred people, many of who were members of Brooklyn CORE, were arrested from picketing. Demonstrators made human chains in front of wrecking balls, lay down in front of bulldozers, and climbed on tops of cranes. The actions severely slowed work on the building and garnered significant public and media attention.