Ebook explores civil rights motion; Delano Middleton’s story shared via fiction | Native

Zachary Middleton wrote “Running After Delano” to reflect on the life of his great-uncle who died in the Orangeburg massacre.

Zachary Middleton finds it important to connect the dots between the historic civil rights movement and contemporary youth culture. He hopes his new historical fiction book, exploring the life of his great-uncle who died in the Orangeburg massacre, will help.

On February 8, 1968, three students were killed and 28 others injured when SC Highway Patrol soldiers opened fire on a crowd of protesters after three nights of escalating racial tension in efforts to desegregate the All-Star Triangle Bowl.

South Carolina State College students Henry Smith and Samuel Hammond and 19-year-old Wilkinson High School student Delano Middleton were killed.

Delano Middleton was the uncle of Zachary’s father, Alonzo Middleton, a longtime businessman from Orangeburg who recently retired after 36 years in the insurance business.

Zachary said his self-published book, Running After Delano, focuses on Delano’s life through the lens of Alonzo, who was just 10 years old when Delano was killed.

“It’s about Delano Middleton’s personality. Who was he as a person? I had the opportunity to sit down with about 22 people who were alive during that time, who knew the community, and knew him, ”said Middleton.

“I wanted our young people to be able to connect the dots between the historic civil rights movement and what is happening. So there are many ways I can try that within the story, but I’m trying to at least limit it to the integrity of the real events that happened during that time, ”he said.