Local civic group A New Day hosted a Life Commemoration event for George Stinney, Jr. on June 16th, highlighting the tragic history and recent exoneration of the young African-American boy who was wrongfully executed in 1944.
The event began at 4:00 p.m. on the front lawn of the Clarendon County Courthouse. George E. Frierson III, historian and founder of A New Day, presented the history of the George Stinney Jr. case to an attentive crowd. Following the historical overview, participants marched to Trinity AME Church, led by Rev. James Williams, Pastor of Trinity AME Church.
At Trinity AME Church, Ms. Patricia Pringle, auditor for Clarendon County and member of A New Day, welcomed attendees. William I. Frierson, Sr., pastor of Lovely Hill MBC and member of A New Day, read a scripture, followed by a group prayer from A New Day. Rev. James Williams introduced the keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Franklin Colclough, Sr., a native of Alcolu, who delivered a poignant commemorative message.
The service concluded with recognitions and thanks from members of A New Day and a benediction by Rev. James Williams. The members of A New Day include Eleazer Carter, John D. Bonaparte, Tyronia Bonaparte, Jerome Dupree, Delaney Kay Frierson, George E. Frierson III, Williams James Frierson, Chars L. Kennedy, Hammett Lemon, John McFadden, Timothy Miller, Patricia Pringle, Craig Singleton, Charles E. Smith, and Thomasina Smith. Special thanks were extended to the Commemoration Committee: Jordan Blanding, Taurice Collins, Adrian Frierson, Cynthia Owens, and Tierra Hilton-Hicks.
Following the service, participants gathered for a post-service assembly at Brunch-O-Holic on North Brooks Street.
The commemoration coincided with the 80th anniversary of George Stinney Jr.’s execution. Stinney was exonerated seventy years after his death, when a South Carolina judge ruled he was denied due process. At 14, he was the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. Stinney was convicted of murdering two young white girls after a swift trial lacking proper legal representation and marred by racial prejudice. His conviction was overturned in 2014 after a judge found he was fundamentally deprived of due process, marking a significant moment of justice for Stinney’s family and civil rights advocates.
The commemoration served not only as a remembrance of George Stinney Jr.’s life but also as a call for continued vigilance against injustice and a celebration of the progress made toward righting historical wrongs.
