The Orangeburg Massacre

On the night of February 8th, 1968, officers of the law opened fire on protesting students on the campus of South Carolina State College at Orangeburg. When the shooting stopped, three young men were dead, and twenty-seven other students were seriously wounded. What had begun as an attempt by peaceful young people to use the facilities of a local bowling alley had become a violent confrontation between aroused students and the coercive power of the state. This tragedy was the first of its kind on any American college campus and became known as the Orangeburg Massacre.

The Orangeburg Massacre stands as a pivotal yet often overlooked moment in American civil rights history. This account examines the 1968 shooting at South Carolina State University, where state highway patrolmen opened fire on student protesters, killing three and wounding dozens more. Through meticulous research and compelling narrative, the book explores the systemic racism, institutional failures, and political pressures that led to this tragedy and its aftermath. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of racial violence and resistance during the turbulent 1960s, this work challenges conventional historical narratives and demands recognition of those whose voices were silenced.