The Orangeburg Massacre occurred on February 8, 1968, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, when state troopers opened fire on a group of black students protesting segregation at a local bowling alley. The protest was part of the larger civil rights movement happening across the United States at the time.

Three students were killed, and many others were injured in the gunfire. The victims were Samuel Hammond Jr., Delano Middleton, and Henry Smith. The tragic event was one of the deadliest acts of state violence against peaceful protesters during the civil rights movement.

The Orangeburg Massacre underscored the continued racism and violence faced by African Americans striving for equality and justice. It also brought national attention to the struggles for civil rights in the South and highlighted the need for lasting change in the American society.