Op-Ed

Connecting the Orangeburg and Charleston Massacres

Published

10 years ago

July 13, 2015

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
NNPA Columnist

History is more than a cumulative knowledge of the facts of the past. For Black Americans and for African people in particular all over the world, history is also the sacred depository or record of a calendar of events that have contributed to the defining moments of our long struggle for liberation, freedom, justice, equality and empowerment.

Certainly the state of South Carolina is one of those many places where the awful brutal bloody sacrifices, as well as the resilient achievements of Black Americans, are well documented and remembered. While we have finally witnessed the taking down of the racist Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds in Columbia, S.C., we should all pause to understand the deeper implications for the present and future struggle to challenge the persistence of racism and racial injustice in America.

We salute the successful efforts of all those sisters and brothers in South Carolina and their allies to get the Confederate flag taken down. Of course that hateful symbol of African slavery, genocide and oppression still flies high in the hearts and minds of too many who still live in the state and elsewhere in the nation. Thus, we must remain vigilant and steadfast in our determination to advance the cause of freedom and equality.

The truth is that the June 17 racist terrorist massacre of nine Black Americans in Charleston inside of Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church was not the first modern day massacre of Black Americans in South Carolina. We must also remember that on February 8, 1968 on the campus of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, three Black American students were shot to death and more than 40 other young Black Americans were wounded in what became known as the “Orangeburg Massacre.”

At the time, South Carolina State University was one the leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the nation both academically and athletically. As a college student in North Carolina during that period and working for Dr. Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), I well remember that dreadful day when we heard about the massacre.

South Carolina Highway Patrolmen had indiscriminately fired shot guns, rifles and pistols at group of 200 unarmed Black American high school and college students who had peacefully assembled on the campus of South Carolina State University Feb. 8, 1968 to protest segregation of the All Star Bowling Lane. My good friend and young leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Cleveland Sellers Jr. was one of those injured and the only person convicted and jailed in connection with the protest.

Today, Sellers is the president of Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C., the city of his birth. At a recent meeting of HBCU presidents in Hilton Head, S.C. under the auspices of the National Association For Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), I listened carefully to Sellers as he reminded the gathering about the Orangeburg Massacre and its relevance to last month’s Charleston Massacre. Sellers cautioned, “We must remember that what happened in Charleston is not isolated from what happened to us in 1968 in Orangeburg.”

What will be raised up now in South Carolina? Will the state’s HBCUs receive adequate funding from the state legislature now that the flag is down? Have we seen the last of the House Budget Committee proposal to close South Carolina State University, the only public HBCU in South Carolina, for two years and fire all school administrators and trustees under the guise of allowing the university to reorganize its troubled finances? Will there be an end to racially motivated police brutality in South Carolina? Will there be more overall racial equality and justice in South Carolina in the aftermath of the Charleston Massacre?

We know these questions are not relevant just for the people who live in South Carolina. The questions concerning racial justice and equality are national questions that should continue to be raised and must be answered. Why is that some of us have to die tragically before there can emerge a momentary sense of national empathy and solidarity for the cause of equal justice?

From the massacres in Orangeburg to Charleston, S.C., we will not relent. We will not forget. We will not be silent. Instead, we will press on to make sure that the oppressive deaths of our sisters and brothers in South Carolina and throughout the world will not be in vain. One day we will overcome the oppression and the racism. Let’s rededicate ourselves to advance the freedom struggle. A luta continua!

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa.org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc.

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Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

3 days ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness. Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new ways of working and living together.

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

By Dr. Lorraine Bonner, Special to California Black Media Partners

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical Western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health.

Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis, relaxation techniques, meditation, and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus to my work in medical care and prevention.

The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone willing, I offered guided imagery.

“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.

To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers: “Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art, music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.

A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.

In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.

Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!

About the Author

Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Opinion: Can Donald Trump Pole Dance?

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

The news cycle has been buzzing the last few weeks. Xi, with Putin and Kim, the sweethearts of Trump carousing alone without him? The victims of the pedophile Epstein speaking out publicly in DC.

Then, there’s the release of that salacious letter Donald Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter didn’t exist. But it does.

Timing is everything.

Additionally, there are further concerns, such as the Supreme Court removing restrictions on ICE interactions. ICE Agents can stop anyone now. For any reason. And there’s the threat of the U.S. sending the military to fight crime in Chicago. Trump even posted a meme of himself as a character in “Apocalypse Now.”

All that with bad polls and bad economic numbers, and these topics are dominating the news cycle — Trump era chaos.

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

The reality is the opposite. He keeps going strong like nothing’s happened. Inexplicably, Trump always seems to defy gravity.

That’s why to reassure myself with reality, I just think of Trump on a pole. Dancing. He was born on Flag Day, after all.

I’ve got pole dancing on my mind because I’m in Canada at the Vancouver Fringe Festival doing my show, “Emil Amok 69, Everything’s Flipped,” about how the current political situation gets very personal.

Get tickets here if you’re near:

I’ve performed at 16 fringe festivals, and I always look for unique performers. This year, in my same venue (the Revue Stage) I found her in a show, “The Pole Shebang.”

Andrea James Lui may look like a typical Asian American at first.

But she’s Asian Canadian, married to an Australian, who now lives down under.

At the Vancouver Fringe, she highlights her special identity.

Pole Dancer

Yes, pole dancing has come to the fringe. Leave your dollar bills at home, this is not that kind of pole dancing.

This is more Cirque Du Soleil-ish- acrobatic stuff, yet it’s hard to deny the sexiness when a woman flawlessly swings from a pole with her legs apart.

The show is more intriguing than it is titillating.

Lui has created a behind-the-scenes look at the “polar” experience.

“She could have been a physicist,” says her big sister Christina, who despite saying that, supports her sister 100 percent.

Lui touches on some of the emotional depth in the poled subculture. But there’s plenty more to mine in the future. “Polar Bare,” the Musical? I’d see it.

Trump on a Pole

So that’s how I’ve come to the polar metaphor.

As Trump flails in the news, I picture him on a pole.

The letter to Epstein is further proof of the character of the man.

Will he stay afloat?

Not if the presidency were more like pole dancing.

You can’t lie on the pole.

That’s one way all of us in the Trump era can get to the truth.

About the Author

Emil Amok is a veteran journalist, commentator, and stage monologist. He has written a weekly column on Asian Americans for more than 30 years.

Contact: www.amok.com