After high school graduation, McNeil’s family moved to New York City to seek better job opportunities. In the fall, McNeil entered North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on a full scholarship. A stark contrast from the more open northern society, McNeil found it difficult living in the segregated south. It was at North Carolina A&amp;T where McNeil met three other freshmen: Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, and David Richmond, and the four would later become known as the Greensboro Four. The four gravitated towards each other because they lived on the same floor of the dormitory and shared similar interests. After attending a concert with his friends, McNeil snapped into action because he watched several members of the audience being inconsiderate and arrogant. It was at that moment that McNeil and his peers wanted to act in response to the unacceptable behavior observed at the concert.  McNeil began to check out and read several books on propaganda and projection of ideas from the library, one, in particular, was "The New Negro".