1960s Segregation and Jim Crow Laws: A Glimpse into Orangeburg

The majority of the South was still segregated in the 1960’s. Jim Crow Laws kept many people of color from doing simple things. Some states didn't allow African Americans to be out at certain times of night. Most Africans-Americans were silenced out of fear. The fear of not being able to see your family the next day. Just because they decide to speak up for their rights. It makes it even more, scarier when you know that someone your age was killed. Yes, I mean a college student or a young adult. Let me take you back to Orangeburg, SC in the 1960’s.

During this time there were Jim Crow Laws. Each kept blacks (Negros) from reaching their full potential as US citizens. The laws kept blacks and whites from mixing in the general public. There were also some unwritten laws. Some towns were sundown towns.

This means that all races other than white can stay after sundown. If you stay in a sundown town and were a person of color, there were no laws to protect you from the wrath of racist.
In Orangeburg, SC on February 6, 1968, a young black activist named Cleveland Sellers gathered 200 black college students from South Carolina State University to protest against the All Star Bowling Alley. This was the only blowing alley in Orangeburg but, it was segregated. To no one's surprise,the owner only allowed white paying customers to enter.
The first day of protest went smoothly. However, on February 7, tension started between the police and students. As a result, 15 of the college students were arrested. This infuriated some but came as no surprise to many . On February 8, the atmosphere was heavy and suffocating. Students decide to start a bonfire to keep them warm while on the campus of South Carolina State University. Cleveland and fellow students were trying to figure out who to desegregate All-Star. As time progressed, law enforcement decided to send firefighters who were escorted by National Guard. After putting out the fire, the officers were hit by a piece of wood. An officer unloaded several rounds into the air. The darkness turned into light as nine highway officers and local officers opened fire. Unloading everything that was in their shotguns and pistols. Each shotgun was loaded with buckshot that had 12 pellets each. There was no warning, no whistle, just the shots that sounded like thunder.
Sadly, you could smell the blood in the air. Imagine how devastating looking around and seeing that would be. Several people were filled with fear and anger. So many bodies on the ground, motionless. Many were injured, however, some chose to not go to the hospital. Most were shot in the back, side, and even soles of their feet. As the shooting reached news outlets. The story was fabricated and said that the student had exchanged in gunfire with the officers and, that is was off campus. Only some of major news outlet retracted the stories.
During this whole ordeal, Cleveland was mysteriously unharmed.

When he looked around there were almost three hundred law enforcement offers in Orangeburg. This includes FBI, Army Intelligence, National Guards, and the local and state police. Cleveland was soon arrested and taken to jail. He was charged with inciting a riot and assault on a police officer. Later news indicated that three students were killed during the event. Samuel Hammond (18), was a quiet freshman, who had also played running back for SCSU. Henry Smith (18), was a tall, slender, ROTC student. He died of five separate gunshot wounds. The third victim was Delano Middleton (17), who was a high school student at Wilkinson. Middleton was a basketball star. Unfortunately, he waiting for his mother on freshmen dorm steps. She was a maid there, he died while asking his mom to say the 23rd Psalm to him.

At a press conference, the next day, Governor Robert E. McNair called it “one of the saddest days in the history of South Carolina” and called it an unfortunate incident. Even with all the evidence, McNair said the shooting was off campus. He blamed the “black power advocates” and shame them for the

incident.
Later than a year later, in federal court, all nine troopers were acquitted of all charges without punishment. In the fall of 1970, the jury in Orangeburg convicted Cleveland for rioting. Even though no one could even place him on the campus during that time, nor during the peaceful protest. Sellers severed seven months is jail for a one-year sentence, he was released early for good behavior. It took twenty year for Sellers to be pardon from his charges. Many news outlets has the Orangeburg Massacre label as a heavy exchange of gun fire between student and officer. This wasn’t corrected until sever years later. Many presumed the Sellers was a escape goat for South Carolina’s police force.