06/18/2026
A great story.
Chief Terry Logan
Some of our town’s history includes injustice. Why still talk about it 80 years later? Rather than hiding from our past, we embrace transparency to honor Sergeant Isaac Woodard Jr. and educate future generations. We want to learn from the past, invest in our present, and change the future.
Military Service
Woodard enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 1942 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He served as a longshoreman in a segregated labor battalion in the Pacific Theater, unloading ships under enemy fire. For his brave leadership and service, he was promoted to sergeant and awarded a battle star, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
The February 1946 Attack
On February 12, 1946, just hours after receiving an honorable discharge, a uniformed Woodard boarded a Greyhound bus to travel home to his wife.
• The Dispute: Woodard asked the white bus driver to stop so he could use the restroom. The driver cursed at him. Woodard defended his dignity, stating, "Talk to me like I am talking to you... I am a man just like you.".
• The Police Brutality: At the next stop in Batesburg, the driver summoned local police. Police Chief Lynwood Shull and another officer forcibly removed Woodard from the bus.
• The Injuries: Shull brutally beat Woodard with a blackjack and jammed the weapon into his eyes. Woodard was left unconscious, denied medical care, and jailed overnight. The next morning, a local court fined him $50 for "disorderly conduct." The assault permanently blinded him.
National Outrage and Trial
The NAACP campaigned extensively to bring national attention to the case. Famed director Orson Welles publicized the attack on his weekly radio show, and prominent figures like Woody Guthrie, Billie Holiday, and Joe Louis headlined a Harlem benefit concert for Woodard's family.
Under orders from President Truman, the Department of Justice filed federal civil rights charges against Chief Shull. However, in November 1946, an all-white jury acquitted Shull after deliberating for only 30 minutes.
Historical Impact and Legacy
Despite the lack of a criminal conviction, Woodard’s tragedy deeply altered American history.
• Desegregation of the Military: Deeply shaken by the attack, President Truman established the President's Committee on Civil Rights and issued Executive Order 9981 in July 1948, officially banning segregation in the U.S. military.
• Judicial Awakening: The federal judge presiding over the trial, J. Waties Waring, was so horrified by the miscarriage of justice that he became a champion of civil rights. His later legal dissents provided the foundational legal reasoning used by the Supreme Court to end school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education.
Woodard relocated to the New York City area, where he successfully invested in real estate, raised a family, and lived independently until his death at age 73 in September 1992. He was buried with full military honors at Calverton National Cemetery.
Legal Exoneration and Official Apology
• Expunging the Record: In 2018, the Batesburg-Leesville municipal court formally expunged Woodard’s 1946 conviction for "drunk and disorderly conduct". The town officially recognized that Woodard was innocent and that the charges were fabricated to cover up police brutality.
• Mayoral Apology: During a public ceremony, former Mayor Lancer Shull explicitly addressed Woodard’s family and stated, "I am sorry this happened," marking the town's first unified, official acknowledgment of the cruelty inflicted by its former police chief.
The Permanent Historical Marker
• Site of the Assault: On February 9, 2019, the town dedicated an official South Carolina state historical marker at the corner of West Church Street and Fulmer Street—the location of the old city jail and police station where the beating occurred.
• Tactile Accessibility: Reflecting the specific nature of Woodard's injuries, the bottom half of the plaque features the exact same historical text fully inscribed in Braille, ensuring blind and visually impaired visitors can independently read his story.
• Community Unveiling: The marker was a collaborative effort funded largely by the Disabled American Veterans Organization and the Sgt. Isaac Woodard Jr. Historical Marker Association, drawing over 200 attendees, including civil rights leaders, military generals, and Woodard's family.
The Woodard Unity Park Project
• Memorial Space: The town designated the site of the former jail to be transformed into Woodard Unity Park, a public space designed as a permanent celebration of civil rights and is seeking grants to fund it.
• Commemorative Statue: The park design features a planned statue of Sergeant Woodard alongside educational exhibits detailing how his sacrifice catalyzed national legal reform.
Want to learn more? Watch this PBS Movie: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/blinding-isaac-woodard/
Children's book: www.amazon.com/Sergeant-Isaac-Woodard-Jr-changed/dp/1735684201
