"W" is for Woodward, Isaac, beating of [February 1946]. Woodward, a Winnsboro native, was discharged from the Army after four years of active duty. He was returning home from Camp Gordon, Georgia, when he got into an argument with the bus driver about needing a rest stop. When the bus reached Batesburg, the driver complained to local police. A scuffle ensued in which two officers beat Woodward with their nightsticks.
The beating left him blind. The incident garnered national attention and boxing champion Joe Louis hosted a benefit concert in New York City. Isaac Woodward’s case was one of several incidents of racial discrimination against black veterans returning home from service after World War II. These incidents and the important contributions of African Americans during them war inspired the NAACP’s "Double V" campaign for victory over oppression abroad and at home.
