The New Petition
In 1949, the people of Clarendon County School District 22 circulated a new petition. This time, the petition was not limited to school bus transportation: instead, they asked for equal everything, including buildings and books. More than one hundred parents and children signed it on November 11, 1949. Working with NAACP lawyers Harold Boulware, Thurgood Marshall, and Robert Carter, they submitted this petition to the school board.
- Harry Briggs, Eliza Briggs, Harry Briggs Jr., Thomas Lee Briggs, Katherine Briggs, and Thomas Gamble
- Henry Brown, Thelma Brown, Vera Brown, Beatrice Brown, Willie H. Brown, Marian Brown, Ethel Mae Brown, and Howard Brown
- James Brown, Theola Brown, Thomas Brown, Euralia Brown, and Joe Morris Brown
- Onetha Bennett, Hercules Bennett, and Hilton C. Bennett
- William Gibson, Annie Gibson, William Gibson Jr., Maxine Gibson, and Harold Gibson
- Robert Georgia, Carrie Georgia, Charlie Georgia, and Jervine Georgia
- Gladys E. Hilton and Joseph Hilton
- Lila Mae Huggins, Celestine Huggins, Juanita Huggins, and Henrietta Huggins
- Gussie Hilton and Roosevelt Hilton
- Thomas Johnson, Blanche E. Johnson, Lillie Eva Johnson, Rubie Lee Johnson, Betty J. Johnson, Bobby M. Johnson, and Preston Johnson
- Susan Lawson, Raymon Lawson, Eddie Lee Lawson, and Susan Ann Lawson
- Frederick Oliver, Willie Oliver, and Mary Oliver
- Rev. Mose Oliver, Leroy Oliver, and Mitchel Oliver
- Bennie Parson Jr., Plummie Parson, and Celestine Parson
- Edward Ragin, Sarah Ragin, Shirley Ragin, and Deloris Ragin
- Hazel Ragin, Zelia Ragin, and Sarah Ellen Ragin
- Rebecca Ragin and Mable Ragin
- William Ragin and Glen Ragin
- Lucrisher Richardson, Elane Richardson, and Emanuel L. Richardson
- Rebecca Richburg and Rebecca I. Richburg
- E.E. Richburg and Albert Richburg
- Lee Johnson, Bessie J. Johnson, Morgan Johnson, and Samuel Gary Johnson
- Lee Richardson, James Richardson, Charles Richardson, Annie L. Richardson, Dorothy J. Richardson, and Jackson D. Richardson
- Mary O. Lawson, Francis Lawson, and Bennie Lee Lawson
- Mary J. Oliver, Daisy Oliver, and Louis Oliver Jr.
- Esther F. Singleton and Janie L. Fludde
- Henry Scott, Mary Scott, and Irene Scott
- Willie M. Stukes, Gardenia Stukes, Willie Mood Stukes Jr., Gardenia S. Stukes, and Louis W. Stukes
- Gabriel Tindal, Annie S. Tindal, Mary L. Bennett, and Lillian Bennett
Retaliation Against Petitioners
The people who signed the petition faced backlash from local white people, who forced petitioners off rented land, called in their debts, and refused to extend credit or sell them necessary supplies.
Interview with Moses Levy
Moses Levy discusses growing up in Clarendon County.
From Behind the Veil Oral History Project, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University Libraries
Briggs v. Elliott
May 1950
After submitting the petition to the school board, the attorneys filed a lawsuit in the federal district court. Along with many of the original petitioners, numerous other community members joined the cause. The lawsuit, filed May 17, 1950, was known by the name of the first person to sign: Harry Briggs, Jr., et al, v. Board of Trustees of School District Number 22, Clarendon County, South Carolina.
- Harry Briggs, Eliza Briggs, Harry Briggs Jr., Thomas Lee Briggs, Katherine E. Briggs, and Thomas Gamble
- James Brown, Theola Brown, Thomas Brown, Euralia Brown, and Joe Morris Brown
- Mary Corner, Minnie M. Corner, and William Corner
- Ferdinand Georgia, Elnoria Georgia, Daisy Georgia, Julian V. Georgia, and H.A. Georgia
- Robert Georgia, Carrie Georgia, Charlie Georgia, Jervine Georgia, Leroy Georgia, and Roosevelt Georgia
- William Gibson, William Gibson Jr., Maxine Gibson, and Harold Gibson
- G. H. Henry, Ellen Henry, and Joe Nathan Henry
- Gladys Hilton, Morgan Hilton, Gussie Hilton, Joseph Hilton, and Joseph Hilton
- Lee Johnson, Bessie J. Johnson, Morgan Johnson, Gussie S. Johnson, Samuel Johnson, and John A. Johnson
- Susan Lawson, Raymon Lawson, Eddie Lee Lawson, and Susan Ann Lawson
- Frederick Oliver, Willie Lee Oliver, and Mary Lee Oliver
- Mary J. Oliver, William C. Oliver, Louis Oliver, and Daisy Oliver
- Bennie Parson and Celestine Parson
- Edward, Sarah, and Shirley Ragin
- Theodore Ragin and Elaine Ragin
- Nathaniel Ragin and Willien Ragin
- Carrie Ragin
- Lee Richardson, Elliott E. Richardson, Donald J. Richardson, James D. Richardson, Dorothy Richardson, Annie L. Richardson, and Charles E. Richardson
- Luchrisher Richardson
- E.E. Richburg and Albert Richburg
- John H. Richburg, Rebecca Richburg, Lillian Richburg, and Hazel Richburg
- Richard Richburg, Frances Richburg, Calvin Richburg, Marion Richburg, and Helen Richburg
- Parnust Richburg
- L.B. Rivers and Lawrence B. Rivers Jr.
- Charlie Robinson, Lizzie Robinson, Dock Robinson, Willie L. Robinson, and Genette Robinson
- Esther F. Singleton and Janie Fludde
- Willie M. Stukes, Gardenia M. Stukes, Willie M. Stukes Jr., Gardenia E. Stukes, and Louis W. Stukes
- Gabriel Tindal, Annie Tindal, Lillian Bennett, Mary Bennett, and John McKinzie
December 1950
Photograph by Cecil Williams, courtesy of Joseph A. De Laine Papers, South Caroliniana Library
At a November 1950 pre-trial hearing for the Briggs case, Judge J. Waties Waring encouraged Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP to withdraw the lawsuit and revise it to directly challenge school segregation. Federal law required a three-judge panel to hear the case. On December 22, 1950, Marshall and the NAACP filed, Briggs v. Elliott, which would become a part of Brown v. Board of Education. Twenty families from Summerton put their names on a lawsuit that would go to the U. S. Supreme Court.
Briggs II Plaintiffs
- Harry Briggs, Harry Briggs Jr., Thomas Lee Briggs, Katherine Eliza Briggs, and Thomas Gamble
- Annie Gibson, William Gibson Jr., Maxine Gibson, Julia Ann Gibson, and Harold Gibson
- Mose Oliver, Mitchel Oliver, and Richard Allen Oliver
- Bennie Parson Jr. and Celestine Parson
- Edward Ragin, Shirley Ragin, and Delores Ragin
- William Ragin and Glen Ragin
- Lucrisher Richardson, Elane Richardson, and Emanuel L. Richardson
- Lee Richardson, James Richardson, Charles Richardson, Dorothy Richardson, and Jackson Richardson
- James H. Bennett, Daniel Bennett, John Bennett, and Clifton Bennett
- Mary Oliver and Louis Oliver Jr.
- Willie M. Stukes, Gardenia Stukes, Willie M. Stukes Jr., and Louis W. Stukes
- G.H. Henry, Joe Nathan Henry, Charles R. Henry, Eddie Lee Henry, and Phyllis A. Henry
- Robert Georgia, Carrie Georgia, and Jervine Georgia
- Rebecca Richburg and Rebecca I. Richburg
- Gabriel Tindal, Mary L. Bennett, Lillian Benett, and John McKinzie
- Susan Lawson, Eddie Lee Lawson, and Susan Ann Lawson
- Frederick Oliver, Willie Oliver, and Mary Oliver
- Onetha Bennett, Hercules Bennett, and Hilton Bennett
- Hazel Ragin, Zelia Ragin, and Sarah Ellen Ragin
- Henry Scott and Irene Scott
Letter from Rev. De Laine to Dr. Nolen, Plaintiffs and Their Churches
