Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968

DVD. Produced by Judy Richardson and Bestor Cram. 2009. 57 minutes.
A documentary film that brings to light the story of the attack by state police on a demonstration in Orangeburg, South Carolina — leaving three students killed and 23 injured.

More info about DVD.

While most teachers know that students were killed at Kent State in 1970, very few know about the murder of students at Jackson State and even less about South Carolina State College in Orangeburg. In Orangeburg, two years before the Kent State murders, 28 students were injured and three were killed — most shot in the back by the state police while involved in a peaceful protest. One of the by-standers, Cleveland Sellers, was arrested for inciting a riot and sentenced to a year of in prison. Now president of Voorhees College, he was the only person to do time. Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968 is an excellent documentary which brings to light this untold story of the Civil Rights Movement including candid interviews with many of those involved in the event: students, journalists, officers on the scene, and the then-Governor. The film also provides students with a good understanding of the concept of Black Power in the context of the Civil Rights Movement.

“The truth-telling power of history is made manifest in this profoundly moving and healing documentary.” —Darlene Clark Hine, Michigan State University

“This documentary should be shown in every schoolroom in America. We might then create a new generation of activists, emulating the heroic young people of that time, moving this country towards new levels of equality and justice.” — Howard Zinn

“This masterful film tells a story previously known by too few. Among its many lessons is the truth of the phrase ‘no justice, no peace.’” — Julian Bond, NAACP Board Chairman

Distributed by California Newsreel. 

Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968 is a co-production of Northern Light Productions, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and the National Black Programming Consortium, with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Sally Jo Fifer Executive Producer for ITVS.

Related resource:  The Orangeburg Massacre by Jack Bass and Jack Nelson.