Charles McDew had had a rough few days. It was 1959, and he had been returning home from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg for Thanksgiving when a police officer stopped him.
McDew and the officer got into a fight. McDew’s jaw and arm were broken, then he was sent to jail. After being released, he attempted to board a train, but he was told that he had to sit in the baggage car because the Black car was full. For McDew, that wouldn’t do.
McDew was jailed again for refusing to sit with the suitcases. After being released this time, McDew took a shortcut through a ‘whites only’ park back to Orangeburg. But again, he just couldn’t catch a break. The police caught him in the park and arrested him for the third time in just two days.
So there McDew was, wondering whether he should keep being defined by his past or rise to become a leader of a new future. Despite wanting to leave the South, he just couldn’t. He stayed, becoming the spokesperson for the Orangeburg Movement for Civic Improvement at their request.
McDew’s story reminds us that it’s never too late for justice and that we should always tell our stories. His past helped to define his fight for the future. How can we use our stories to inspire others too?