high school

On November 22, 1963, Bennie Sulton suited up in his maroon and white high school football uniform. The 17-year old was a captain of the Lakeview Tigers in West Columbia. They were about to face Gresham Megget High school from James Island in a championship game. The two schools were a part of South Carolina’s Equalization program; providing an education for African-American students and maintaining “separate but equal” schools for white and black children.But instead of euphoria, Sulton and his teammates where dealing with a different set of feelings stemming from the realization that graduation meaning the end of football careers for many, desegregation ending the history of their school and also the death of Pres. John F. Kennedy.