Orangeburg Massacre

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."

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The World Of Cecil Part One Viewing Guide
The World Of Cecil Part One Viewing Guide

Lesson

Grades: 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, Higher Education

This resource was created to engage students in the viewing of "The World of Cecil"documentary. This guide covers part one of the series.

The Orangeburg Massacre | The World of Cecil -Shorts
The Orangeburg Massacre | The World of Cecil -Shorts

Video

Grades: 8 9 10 11 12

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...
The Orangeburg Massacre | The World of Cecil
The Orangeburg Massacre | The World of Cecil

Video

Grades: 8 9 10 11 12

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...
Conversations About The Orangeburg Massacre, Part 1 1
Conversations About The Orangeburg Massacre, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 5 8

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.
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 1 1
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 5 8

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...
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 3 3
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 3
Episode 3

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Another one of the students who was present at the night of the shooting was Emma McCain. Dr. McCain was beaten by police officers that night, and now she offers her recollections of that tragic night...
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 2 2
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 2
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In this segment, the panelists discuss Cleveland Sellers’ role in the incident. Sellers was the only “agitator” tried and convicted from what happened the night of the shooting. Dr. Sellers also joins...
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 6 6
Orangeburg Massacre: Remembrances & Reckoning, Part 6
Episode 6

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Bonniwell Graham, W. Lloyd Walker, and Johnny A. Jones were students at S.C. State College, and they share their experiences during the night of the shooting, along with some of the injuries sustained...
Sellers, Cleveland Louis, Jr. | South Carolina Public Radio
Sellers, Cleveland Louis, Jr. | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

“S” is for Sellers, Cleveland Louis, Jr. [b. 1944]. Civil rights activist. Educator. Sellers attended Howard University where he met several student activists, including Stokely Carmichael—later...
Cleveland Sellers | Road Trip
Cleveland Sellers | Road Trip

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8

In 1968, Sellers was then a student at Harvard University. He was visiting Orangeburg as a recruiter for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). On the night of February eighth, he...
Governor Robert McNair (1923-2007) | Road Trip
Governor Robert McNair (1923-2007) | Road Trip

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8

Governor Robert McNair responded to student demonstrations to desegregate the All-Star Bowling Alley by sending additional law enforcement: National Guardsmen, State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)...
Orangeburg County - South Carolina State University
Orangeburg County - South Carolina State University

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

South Carolina State University was founded in 1896 as the Colored Normal, Industrial, Agricultural, & Mechanical College of S.C., with its origins in the Morrill Land Grant Acts of 1862 and 1890...