Who was Strom Thurmond?
(James) Strom Thurmond(1902-2003) is one of the great names in South Carolina politics with a career spanning over 75 years. Born in Edgefield, SC, Thurmond graduated from Clemson University in 1923. In 1928 he won his first elected office as superintendent of the Edgefield County schools. At the same time, he studied law with his father and was admitted to the state bar in 1930 (Photo of Thurmond on SC State House grounds by author) In 1932, Thurmond was elected to the State Senate where he served until 1938; Thurmond made his mark in the Senate in the field of education and his efforts won him a seat on the Winthrop College Board of Trustees. Winthrop later named a building for him. Thurmond was elected as a judge by the State Legislature in 1938 and while serving as a judge, volunteered for the army during World War II, this despite the fact that he was old enough to avoid service. As a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, he was wounded during the D-Day landing in France when his
Can a white person afford to be a non-racist in a racist society? Strom Thurmond could not. One of the most salient and incredible statements made by Ms. Williams is that she was quiet because she felt that she had to protect the reputation of her white father. That Strom Thurmond most certainly needed protection is a fact no one has questioned or fully defined. No one has questioned how and why did a little black girl understand so well that she was the one who could protect a grown white man. From what was this little black girl protecting Strom Thurmond? Did she fear that a large group of angry black people would go down to the state house and attack or drag Strom out of there for violating a young black girl? Was it the justice system that Strom needed to fear? If not, then who or what was it that Strom needed protecting from and what did that have to do with a little black girl who was afraid to say who her father was? Seventy-eight years later, this child with great emotions and
