The State of South Carolina is only the 40th largest state by area but it's importance in history is enormous. The state was the first to vote in favor of secession from the Union in 1860. It's estimated that 52% of all slaves entered the United States through Charleston which was the largest slave port in North America. South Carolina was home to Joseph Rainey who was the first black person to serve in the United States House of Representatives. South Carolina is also home to Orangeburg. A small city which was home to over 15,000 residents at its peak and is also home to South Carolina State University and Claflin University.
In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed and was thought to had officially ended segregation, but the attitudes of many white citizens had not changed. One of the those citizens was Harry Floyd who owned All-Star Bowling Triangle bowling alley. Floyd believed that he was well within his rights to not serve black patrons because his establishment was private property. With Orangeburg being the home of two HBCUs, the city was a major center of the Civil Rights Movement. Whites in the city would fire known activist and evict them from rental properties as retaliation. The young students were aware of these tactics and were determined that more must be done. The students at State College (now South Carolina State) had just saw a major change in their administration when President Brenner Turner resigned after students protested against him. Turner was a conservative on Civil Rights and took a hard line stand against students participating in the Civil Rights Movement which pleased the State. Once Turner stepped down many restrictions on student activism were lifted. By the Fall of 1968 the NAACP and Black Awareness Coordinating Committee had over 300 members on campus.
All-Star Bowling Lane originally became the focus of students during the summer and fall of 1967. Owner Harry Floyd responded to requests to allow blacks buy putting up signs that read "Whites Only". On February 5, 1968 a group of students from State College and Claflin went to the bowling alley to protest the whites only policy. Harry Floyd refused them entry and the students left peacefully. Over the next few hours word had gotten around both campuses of what had occurred so the next night a larger group returned to the bowling alley and were met by police who threatened to blast the students with water hoses. Tensions escalated and police began beating the students with Billy clubs. That night eight total students were sent to the local hospital due to their injuries. The Associated Press ran a story the following day claiming that cars had been overturned; which was proven to be false. Over the next few days tensions would escalate as Governor Robert McNair called in the National Guard after being convinced from the false reports of the press and cabinet members that "Black Power" leaders were inciting students to be violent.
On February 8, 1968 hundreds of students had gathered on the campus of SC State to protest racial segregation not only at the bowling alley but other privately owned establishments in Orangeburg. National Guard troops were present and were instructed to keep the protesters on campus. Students started a large bonfire in front of the campus which was ordered to be put out by authorities. While the fire was being extinguished, a police officer was struck by a banister posts that had been thrown. Police were unsure what had occurred and claim to have heard gunshots before raising their guns and opening fire into the darkness. Students scrambled to escape to safety as shots rang out. At least nine patrolmen opened fire during this time of panic. After shots stopped, thirty-one victims had been struck by police gunfire which included not only students from SC State and Claflin but three from Wilkinson High School. The injured students were taken to the segregated ER at Orangeburg Regional Hospital. Members of the press overheard a police officer gloating over the radio, saying "You should have been here, ol buddy got a couple of em tonight." Three students were killed by police that night. Sammy Hammond, Delano Middleton who was only 17, and Henry Smith. Most of the protesters who were wounded that night were shot in the back or side as the fled the assault.
Despite the Orangeburg Massacre being the first time that police shot and killed on a United States University campus, it received little to no media coverage outside of South Carolina. The NAACP launched a boycott of all white businesses in Orangeburg on February 11th after the Massacre. On February 10, the Department of Justice filed a suit against Harry Floyd. The Department also filed against the Orangeburg Regional Hospital, which remained segregated despite having promised to integrate in 1965. On February 22nd, federal Judge ordered All-Star Bowling Lane to desegregate. John Stroman became one of the first group of black students to bowl there on the day classes resumed, February 26, 1968 Most businesses in Orangeburg followed suit and desegregated.
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