Approximately 150 protesters had demonstrated against racial segregation at the All-Star Bowling Alley on several occasions prior to the Orangeburg Massacre. On the evening of February 8, 1968, South Carolina State University (SCSU) students started a bonfire on the front of campus, which is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. As police and firefighters attempted to put out the fire, officer David Shealy was injured by a thrown object. South Carolina Highway Patrol officers fired shots at the protestors.
Three of the protestors, African American males, were killed and twenty-eight other protesters were injured. The three men killed included two SCSU students Samuel Hammond (18), Henry Smith (18), and Delano Middleton (17), a student at the local Wilkinson High School.
At a press conference the following day, Governor Robert E. McNair said the event was "...one of the saddest days in the history of South Carolina."
Lesson
This resource was created to engage students in the viewing of "The World of Cecil"documentary. This guide covers part one of the series.
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On February 6, 1968, a violent clash occurred between SC State University students and law enforcement, with police beating and opening fire on the unarmed students. Three students were killed, and...
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In the final segment of The World of Cecil: Part One, the documentary recounts events from 1968 when students from South Carolina State University, led by John Stroman, attempted to desegregate the...
Document
This SCETV follow-up special commemorates the 50th anniversary of this tragic event, as survivors, participants and officials share their remembrances and struggle to provide some sense of reckoning...
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South Carolina State University alumni Bonniwell Graham, W. Lloyd Walker, and Johnny A. Jones recall where they were on the S.C.S.U. campus when the shooting occurred on February 8, 1968.
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The discussion between Bonniwell Graham, W. Lloyd Walker, and Johnny A. Jones about the Orangeburg Massacre continues.
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The discussion between Bonniwell Graham, W. Lloyd Walker, and Johnny A. Jones about the Orangeburg Massacre continues.
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The discussion between Bonniwell Graham, W. Lloyd Walker, and Johnny A. Jones about the Orangeburg Massacre continues.
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Fifty years have passed since the tragic Orangeburg Massacre occurred at South Carolina State College. With the protests at the All Star Bowling Alley mere days before, no one anticipated the massacre...
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The panel talks about the excessive force used by law enforcement, and why the FBI’s training at the time was deemed "flawed."
