ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Wednesday is the 55th anniversary of the Orangeburg Massacre. The All Star Bowling Alley set the scene for the historic events that unfolded and is in the process of being restored.
On February 8, 1968, a group of Black Orangeburg students were denied entry into the bowling alley due to segregation. Now, a local organization called the Center for Creative Partnerships has reclaimed the space and is in the process of revitalizing it.
"It is not only gonna be a bowling center but it’ll be a place where everyone can come together, have a good time, and learn," said president of the Center for Creative Partnerships Ellen Zisholtz.
For that reason, Zisholtz says the working title of the new space is the All Star Justice Center. In addition to refurbishing its 16 bowling lanes, there will be exhibits commemorating the student activists who lost their lives during the protests. Samuel Hammond Jr., Henry Smith, and Delano Middleton. There will also be a new lunch top counter built.
“It’s time word gets out so that the people who worked so hard and were committed to civil rights issues and the people who are mourning and the people who have died can at least close this circle," said Zisholtz.
It was made possible with a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network. Phase one of construction is expected to be complete in August.
South Carolina State University is hosting a commemoration ceremony on Wednesday in honor of the Orangeburg Massacre at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. auditorium.