Isaac Woodard Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Isaac Woodard Jr.
Born	(1919-03-18)March 18, 1919 Fairfield County, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 23, 1992(1992-09-23) (aged 73) The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Buried	Calverton National Cemetery Calverton, New York, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942–46
Rank	Sergeant
Battles/wars	World War II New Guinea campaign
Awards	Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal

Isaac Woodard Jr. (born March 18, 1919 – died September 23, 1992) was an American soldier. He became a victim of racial violence after serving in World War II. On February 12, 1946, just hours after leaving the United States Army, he was attacked. This happened while he was still in his army uniform, traveling home by bus in South Carolina.

The attack caused him to become completely and permanently blind. Because South Carolina did not act on the case, President Harry S. Truman ordered a federal investigation. The police chief, Lynwood Shull, was put on trial in federal court. However, an all-white jury found him not guilty.

Such unfair outcomes by state governments led to more civil rights efforts at the federal level. President Truman then created a national group to study race issues. He gave a famous speech to the NAACP in 1947. In this speech, he said that civil rights were a very important moral issue. In 1948, he proposed a civil rights law to Congress. He also issued special orders to end segregation in the armed forces and the federal government.

Isaac Woodard's Early Life and Army Service
The Attack and Its Impact
- National Outcry and Support
Aftermath and Influence
See also

Isaac Woodard's Early Life and Army Service

Isaac Woodard was born in Fairfield County, South Carolina. He grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He went to local schools that were segregated, meaning Black and white students went to separate schools. Schools for African Americans often did not get enough money during the Jim Crow era.

On October 14, 1942, when he was 23, Woodard joined the United States Army. He served in the Pacific theater during World War II. He worked as a longshoreman, helping to load and unload ships. He was promoted to sergeant. He earned a battle star for his Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal. This was for unloading ships while under enemy fire in New Guinea. He also received the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged from the army.

The Attack and Its Impact

On February 12, 1946, Woodard was on a bus traveling home. He had just been discharged from the army. When the bus stopped, Woodard asked the driver if he could use the restroom. The driver was not happy about it but let him go.

Later, the bus stopped in Batesburg, South Carolina. Even though Woodard had not caused any trouble, the bus driver called the local police. Police chief Lynwood Shull and other officers took Woodard off the bus. They asked to see his discharge papers. Then, they took him to a nearby alley. There, they beat him with nightsticks. They then took him to the town jail and arrested him. They accused him of being disorderly.

Isaac Woodard later said in court that he was beaten for saying "Yes" instead of "Yes, sir." He also said police punched him in the eyes and jabbed them with a billy club. His eyes were so badly hurt that he became permanently blind.

The next morning, the police took Woodard to a local judge. He was found guilty and fined fifty dollars. Woodard asked for medical help. However, it took two more days for a doctor to see him. He ended up in a hospital in Aiken, South Carolina. His family reported him missing. Three weeks later, they found him in the hospital. Doctors found that both of his eyes were too damaged to be fixed.

National Outcry and Support

At first, the case was not widely known. But soon, major newspapers across the country reported on it. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped share Woodard's story. They also asked the South Carolina government to act, but the state did not.

Orson Welles, a famous actor and filmmaker, spoke about Woodard on his radio show. He called for the police chief and others to be punished. Welles read a sworn statement from Woodard on his show. He said the lack of action by the South Carolina government was unacceptable. The NAACP believed Welles's broadcasts greatly helped the Justice Department get involved.

Musicians also wrote songs about Woodard. The calypso artist Lord Invader recorded "God Made Us All." The folk artist Woody Guthrie wrote "The Blinding of Isaac Woodard." He wrote it so people would not forget what happened to this soldier.

Aftermath and Influence

Impact on American Politics

In December 1946, President Truman met with leaders from the NAACP. A month after the police chief was found not guilty, Truman created the Civil Rights Commission. This group had fifteen members from different backgrounds. He asked them to report their findings by the end of 1947.

On June 29, 1947, Truman gave a powerful speech about civil rights. He spoke to the NAACP from the Lincoln Memorial. This was the first time an American president spoke at their meeting. He said that civil rights were a moral priority for the federal government. He realized that cases like Woodard's showed that states could not handle these issues alone.

On February 2, 1948, Truman sent the first complete civil rights bill to Congress. In July 1948, Truman issued Executive Order 9981. This order banned racial discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces. He also issued Executive Order 9980 to integrate the federal government. These actions were a direct response to incidents against Black veterans, especially the Woodard case. The military and federal agencies became leaders in integrating workplaces and public places.

Influence on Popular Culture

Orson Welles talked about the Woodard case again in 1955 on his BBC TV show. Woody Guthrie later remembered singing "The Blinding of Isaac Woodard" to a huge crowd. He said it got the loudest applause he had ever received.

In 2019, a new book about Isaac Woodard was published. It is called Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring. It was written by Federal Judge Richard Gergel.

Honoring Isaac Woodard

A group led by Don North, a retired Army major, got permission to put up a historical marker for Woodard. It is in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, where the attack happened. The marker was unveiled in 2019. The bottom part of the marker is written in Braille, so blind people can read it.

Isaac Woodard facts for kids

Contents