Isaac Woodard had on his uniform, so he knew the white bus driver recognized him as a WWII veteran. He repeated himself - he needed to get off. But the white driver smirked and kept going.
Though this was the 1940s south, surely a veteran would be granted the mercy of a bathroom break during the next stop, right?
Instead, as he exited the bus, several white police officers grabbed him.
The police chief beat Woodard’s face, repeatedly poking his eyes with a nightstick. Severely injured, Woodard became unresponsive. He eventually received medical attention, but something seriously life-changing happened because of these cops’ brutality.
The damage from the police beating blinded him for life. And his attack gained national attention when, after pressure from the NAACP, the federal government filed charges against the police chief. Of course, the officer was found not guilty, but there was an even bigger impact.
Woodard’s case was actually the FIRST to garner mainstream attention about police brutality and violence against Black veterans. Still today, the police system doesn’t care if we give our lives for this country - it isn’t designed to respect our humanity.
In the spirit of Woodard and many others, the fight against police violence must continue!