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The Orangeburg Massacre
Sen. Barack Obama is clearly a bad bowler. The networks rolled the video clip of his gutter ball endlessly across our TV screens. It was an Internet favorite. The media served it, and the public ate it up. MSNBC's Chris Matthews, the host of "Hardball," hammed it up when interviewing Obama on the campus of West Chester University in Pennsylvania:
Matthews: One of the perks, senator, of being president of the United States is that you have your own bowling alley. Are you ready to bowl from day one?
Obama: Obviously, I am not.
But in fact, it was not too long ago when African-Americans were not allowed in some bowling alleys. In Orangeburg, S.C., three young African-American men were killed for protesting against that town's segregated bowling alley.
It was Feb. 8, 1968, months before the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. It was more than two years before the massacre of students at Kent State University in Ohio. Students at South Carolina State University were protesting for access to the town's only bowling alley. Cleveland Sellers, a student at the time at that historically black college, was also a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and an organizer of the protests. In a recent interview, he said about that night 40 years ago:
"It was a cold night ... this was the fourth day of activities around the effort to desegregate the bowling alley. ... The students had built a bonfire to keep themselves warm and build morale. They were trying to work out some strategy. What should they do next? Should they go back to the bowling alley, where they had been arrested on Tuesday night? Should they go to the City Hall? Should they go to the state Capitol? And they thought that they were in an area that was pretty safe and secure, and they never expected the police to open fire."
Sellers is now director of the African-American studies program at the University of South Carolina. His memory is vivid: "The darkness turned to light as the police opened fire, nine highway patrolmen and one local police officer firing rifles and shotguns and pistols. It was a shock to many of the students that there was no bullhorns, no whistles, no anything that indicated that this kind of extremely lethal action would be taken on these students."
Survivor Robert Lee Davis recalled the event in an oral history project conducted by Jack Bass, who was a reporter at the time and now is a professor at the College of Charleston: "It was a barrage of shots ... maybe six or seven seconds. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! Students was hollering, yelling and running. ... I got up to run, and I took one step, and that's all I could remember. I took that one step. I got hit in the back ... this was when I got paralyzed. Students was trampling over me, because they was afraid."
Sellers put the largely unreported and forgotten Orangeburg Massacre in context: "It's ironic that here we are 40 years later, and the issue of poverty and the issue of war are still issues that are pertinent all around America again. And I think that it just says that in 1968, with the assassination of Dr. King and with the decline in the civil rights movement during that period, that a number of issues were left unachieved."
There have been advances in the 40 years since the Orangeburg Massacre. Now, rather than protesting for access to a bowling alley, an African-American man is a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, his bowling flubs merely the object of ridicule. But the three young African-American men murdered that night in Orangeburg-Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith -- are not with us to share in the progress. They are hardly remembered at all.
The media this week recognize the one-year anniversary of the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, in which a lone, disturbed gunman killed 30 students and faculty members. It is an important date on which to reflect. The Orangeburg Massacre deserves a place in our national consciousness as well. We need media that provide historical context, that offer more than a one-year perspective on our society. Instead, the mainstream media keep throwing gutter balls.
Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!," a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on 650 stations in North America.
© 2008 Amy Goodman
22 Comments so far
Show AllKilling people to protect 'private property rights'. Sounds quite like America today.
Wow - so many more people deserve to know about this kind of reporting...
I was, at first, hesitant to click on this link - I thought - "oh no, another lecture" but to mix metaphors - Amy knocked it out of the park on this one.
It is going back to the same mentality today. A large portion of the populace have realized that they dont have to do the dirty work. They can simply pretend that you are a criminal and let the law enforcment do the rest.
Look at what happens when you get to a counter. If you look a little different from the person behind the counter, you will receive a slightly differnt tone of voice, the answers will be taut and tense, as if leading to build up to a situation. There will be stalling, distractions, and definite distance created between you and the other person.
Whereas if they are the similar people in obvious ways, they will speak to each other like they were family, even if it is the first time they have met.
Will Obama being the president change this? We are talking about an inherent culture, that the minorities are straightjacketed into. Obama's presidency will hopefully make a small change in this mentality. If he does get to the whitehouse.
It is tragicomedy: in light of millions of stories (Oragneburg 40 years ago, Jena, La., last year/ongoing), an African America is bidding for the presidency and is forced to win votes 1) by bowling and 2) by not being allowed to respond with examples of the brutality of our omnipresent racism. We live in a mundo bizarro sitcom. Would that Obama could have (would have?) responded asking Matthews to google Orangeburg, and then ask him about bowling.
I do not understand, especially after ABC last night, how we ever get journalists seen and heard. Thanks again Amy.
If Barack is denied The White House, it won't be because he was a bad bowler. But I do hope that recently reported bowling episode was his last attempt to feign "fitting in" as a good ole boy in some odd place that is not his prior reality.
If Barack is elected to The White House, it WILL BE because enough Americans believe that he is a natural leader and a visionary who happens to be half black---and that there just aren't enough people left in America who are so shackled by racism as to vote him down on that score. It would be a pretty big turn of American history over that Orangeburg travesty of only 40 years ago. It could be measured as "our" victory over previous national error even more than it would be "his" victory for winning an election.
I'm not sure Orangeburg has changed much. I went there in 1987 for a job interview and left in disgust. But maybe, just maybe, this country is getting ready to grow up.
Peace,
Ken
"Instead, the mainstream media keep throwing gutter balls."
Hell, the corporate propaganda networks don't even show up, let alone engage in the "game."
Thank you, Amy for reminding us again that the past isn't so distant. I can't bowl, but my lack of bowling skills did not affect my job performance. I doubt his bowling scores will affect Barak's job performance either.
Excellent article. Thanks, Amy.
Putting the word journalist and Chis Matthews in the same blog, is an insult to the profession.
For a sense of the kind of guy Obama really is, at least in the context of sports, check out this.
When the capitalist tries to divide and conquer the people on culture, recreation and sports, go dig up some dirt on the capitalist along those same lines, so you have something with which to whack him back. Beat him at his own game, then he'll grow tired of it. The people will benefit, naturally.
AmeriKKKa the real threat to world peace and stability
Daniel David:
Just how much are you being paid to turn every thread on CD and who knows how many other forums, into a pro-Obama rant.
The connection in this one is just as tenuous as the one on women wher you held up Obama's wife as "beautiful' example -in other words being the kind of person the author was railing against.
I must say in all fairness that if you are paid you are earning every cent. If you aren't being paid, you should run, not walk, to your doctor's office.
Those employed in the news media are categorically wretched at their jobs. Across-the-board:
Anderson Cooper; Wolf Blitzer; Lou Dobbs; Bill O'Riley; Charles Gibson; Bryan Williams; Kate Couric; Chris Matthews---Not a one is admissible in the field of journalism.
Should anyone be forced to call them journalists or reporters? What they're doing shares the same methodological area as Hollywood gossip. Many days, there isn't any detectable divide: They're all entertainment reporters.
Yes, good article. It's not extensive, but can still (and I suppose should be able to) serve as a fine reminder about the nature of too much of USA, as well as being a reference for searching for more on the event and from the sources referred to. I don't know that I'll ever get around to doing that additional research, but the article still provides a fine basis or commencement; or so it seems for now anyway.
Check out the "MOVE Community" of I believe Philadelphia, this very, very, ... serious incident, and get ready for a serious shocker. Search Google using "MOVE Sambor Community Philadelphia 1985", minus the quotes, and you'll get plenty of hits. Two are the following.
"Police Drop Bomb on Radicals' Home in Philadelphia
WILLIAM K. STEVENS / New York Times 14may85
50 to 60 Other Houses in Area Burn
2 People Known to Have Survived Siege"
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/MOVE-Phihladelphia-BombNYT14may85.htm
That has a link for more on the story, and it returns a Google listing of articles, around 63 or so; apparently all articles copied at the above website.
"ATTENTION, MOVE!
This is America!,
May 13, 1985 remembered
...
by Hans Bennett | 05.11.2007"
http://www.phillyimc.org/en/node/62115
These are important parts of U.S. history; I just would not want us to forget the five centuries of what's been done to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, and what continues to be done today, throughout [all] of the Americas. That's something to NEVER, ever, forget or neglect.
Anyone who can report on crimes against African or black Americans and NOT, never or rarely against the indigenous peoples here, now this takes certainly suspect reporters. They could be only using the racism against African or black Americans for purely political goals.
After all, do the same for the indigenous here and there's no achievable political goal whatsoever; for they're like a totally forgotten people. WE ALL "help" to make certain of THIS; through our deceptive subtle ways!
I do not neglect to care about the racism against others, but of these others I do care about in terms of human rights, neighbours, whatever, I WILL NOT forget what has been and continues to be done to the indigenous of this or any other continent.
African, black Americans, as well as many of the other non-whities, besides the many (?) whities, now all perpetuate the crimes against the indigenous peoples here; and I have a certain problem with that sort of attitude. It does and will not work with me!
African Americans have, it seems, received the most brutal, violent actions of racist USA over the past century or nearly, but the actions against the indigenous of USA, all of North America, and more, really, this continues to be very violent; only it's often or usually not blatant violence like what happened at Orangeburg, SC, or in Philadelphia.
However, the real violence that continues to be perpetrated against the indigenous peoples of north america continues. The means of carrying out this violence differs, on the surface, but remains very violent, very criminal, and so on.
We would not know that reading at sites only like CD, for it's a very incomprehensive, very non-thorough, minimal website; but what I speak of still and all is happening, continues.
Thank goodness that I don't rely on only CD, else I'd be awfully [ignorant].
CommonDreams? Whose dreams; certainly not mine?
Go pay a visit to Narconews.com, MohawkNationNews.com, and some other informative websites. DO NOT rely on websites provided by only "Americans", for they're so biased in so many ways that you can't keep splitting the hairs any longer for there's nothing left to split. It's the worst split environment to be in, USA.
Give me TRUTH and seriously so; else why would anyone wish to spend a dime on your ... whatever.
If lacking a [mature] overseer of the website, then I can [contribute]; can't fill in, but can surely help to contribute.
On 9-11, f.e., CD recently posted a copy of an article by some jerk who posted at rabble.ca; a pure piece of junk that is easy to debunk in its false analysis and outright lies. And damn, yes, Canada has anti-pro-9-11 truthers, for many Canadians PROFIT from relation with the USA. Of course there'll be plenty of scum brown-nosers here, it's all they can do; either brown-nose (stinking as heck is that for thing to do) or be honest, in which case they can't speak negatively of the 9-11 Truth Movement, besides for the infiltrators and idiots who worked to try to destroy the movement from very early on. And, "man", where they early on.
It's all like a-la Machiavelli. The state needs to LIE to coerce, secretively, the masses into supporting wrongful decisions, so courses.
Maybe he's source of U.S., the Euro-conquistadors of So. and No. America, and more, and which, in turn, inspired Hitler, for Hitler apparently did obtain inspiration from U.S. history, and credible that is, en masse. What goes around comes back around, sort of. Right now, coming back around doesn't seem to seriously fit, but it's increasingly becoming fitting for realisation, for the USA is on a serious decline, killing itself, no need for others to "help"; USA being able to commit mass suicide all by itself. And that started decades prior to 9-11, too.
People did not SEE what course the USA was on, yet it was not so obscure as to not be noticeable. GREED is always a clear indicator that there's trouble, and very greedy the USA has LONG been; throughout its whole history,really. Yeah, Britain released so-called or real criminals from prison and let them come to North America. Talk about unleashing PLAGUE upon the whole world, instead of keeping that damn sh*t canned.
They were so plague-infected that they convinced Iroquois to join and they did. Hah. Like what are you doing guys; like siding with the very worst enemies of indigenous peoples of North America? Like yeah man, make some bucks ya know.
Sounds [awfully] TYPICAL.
Can't say much against this article, Amy, but Obama WILL lose PA and in Nov. because of his relationship to that racist Rev. Wright.
Cut and dry.
The writings on the wall. You saw it here 1st. folks.
He lost my support due to THAT, and only that. Like it or not, there's many here who believe the same. We'll see you next Tuesday.
Hillary 54% Obama 46%
your friend banjoman
What happened to the scumbags with the guns? Nothing, I bet.
'' And Freedom and Justice for All'' What a crock of BULLSHIT!
Amy as usual you are a true hero to many of us!
Speaking of remembering, how about remembering the role that the U.S. Embassy and the Ford Foundation played in Indonesia during the 1960s when U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member Obama's mother worked for the U.S. Embassy there--after the CIA-backed 1965 military coup led to the massacre of 500,000 to 1 million leftist Indonesian civilians and their families?
The first time I ever witnessed racial discrimination was in March of 1955. I was so ashamed. I was on a Greyhound bus travelling from central Pennsylvania to Pheonix AZ.
When we reached the Mississippi river one evening across from St. Louis, Missouri, the driver pulled off the road and parked. No one said anything but every black person on the bus who was seated near the front, got up and came to the rear of the bus. I was told by one that I had to move up front. I moved but didn't understand exactly what was going on.
I did when we reached the Greyhound termnal in St. Louis a few minutes later. There were the signs on the restaurant and rest rooms, "WHITES ONLY". This was in 1955!! At the age of 18, I began to learn about something I'd heard about, but had never given it any thought.
I was ashamed to be white that night and in anger l almost used the colored restaurant, but at the doorway I chickened out and decided it was better to not cause any rukus. I've always been ashamed I didn't whenever I think about it. What year were the slaves given their freedom?
And some people wonder why there is still anger and resentment within the black community.