8 February, 1968 - 54 years ago today, in the U.S.
In another violent incident in civil rights history, South Carolina Highway Patrol officers opened fire on a crowd of unarmed protesters, killing three Black males, and wounding twenty-eight in Orangeburg, SC.
The dead were SCSU students Henry Smith (19) and Samuel Hammond Jr (18), and Delano Middleton (17), a local high school student who was shot while sitting on the dormitory steps waiting for his mom to get off work.
Starting on February 5th, the protesters had gathered, trying to convince the owner of the town’s only bowling alley to desegregate, but tensions only grew worse with each day. The governor called in the National Guard after a window at the bowling alley was smashed.
By 10:30pm on the evening of the 8th, about 200 students started a bonfire at the front of the SCSU campus. When police & fire units moved in to put out the fire, one patrolman, David Shealy, was struck with a tossed wooden bannister. He was slightly injured.
Five minutes later, rumor spread among the officers that Shealy had been shot. They fired directly into the crowd with carbines, shotguns, and revolvers in retaliation.
They later claimed they had been attacked by snipers and firebombs, but as one might guess, investigations found no evidence that any student was armed, there were no firebombs, nor had witnesses heard the sound of any shots fired prior to those of the officers.
In fact, there was almost no evidence the officers were being very selective about targets at all, or responding to any offensive actors: most of the victims were shot in the back as they fled the unfolding massacre.
There was a fouth related death that rarely gets mentioned. After the gunfire was over Louise Cawley, who was pregnant, attempted to take gunshot victims to the hospital, but she was stopped, beaten by officers with billy clubs, and sprayed with chemical agents. She lost the baby a week later.
All nine police officers were acquitted in federal court.
Curiosity Corner:
Why didn't the Orangeburg Massacre receive the same media coverage as later on-campus mass shootings like the 1970 Kent State shooting?
What were the legal arguments that led to the officers acquittal?
Did any of the officers later change their claims of “armed black-power agitators” shooting first?
Get curious:
The Orangeburg Massacre on History.Com.
Orangeburg Massacre 1968 on Black Past
Causes, events and aftermath of the Orangeburg Massacre on ThoughtCo.
The complete story of the Orangeburg Massacre on OrangeburgMassacre.Com
What else makes February 8th special around the world?
Take the tinfoil off your alien implants today and celebrate Extraterrestrial Visitor Day. Get a little creative and it just might be the perfect celebration to combine with National Kite Flying Day.
In Qatar it is National Sports Day promoting healthy lifestyles, while in Slovenia today is Preseren Day which celebrates the life of France Preseren, the country's greatest classical author.
The second of four dogsled races in the Yukon Quest series finishes today in Alaska, following historic travel routes.
The 24th Winter Olympic games continue in Beijing, China today.
On a personal note, today is the 33rd anniversary of the day that my soulmate and best friend officially became Mrs. Curious. We had a small family wedding on the banks of the Rogue River, at Touvelle State Park in southern Oregon in 1989.
Happy anniversary, beautiful!
Famous births on February 8th, under the sign of Aquarius
American actor Jack Lemon (1921-1995),
journalist Ted Koppel (1940-),
American author John Grisham (1955-),
Different Strokes actor Gary Coleman (1966-2010),
and American actor Seth Green (1974-).
“In the days of Caesar, king's had fools and jesters. Now network presidents have anchormen."
- Ted Koppel
Today is the 39th day of the year on the Gregorian calendar. 326 days remaining.
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It is 7 Adar I, 5782 on the Jewish calendar.