Cleveland "Cleve" Sellers Jr., an American educator and civil rights activist, has played a significant role in shaping the course of the Civil Rights Movement.
As a prominent figure, Sellers served as a leader within the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, working tirelessly to advance the cause of social justice during the tumultuous 1960s.
Tragically, Sellers was the only individual to be convicted and imprisoned in connection with the Orangeburg Massacre, a 1968 civil rights protest that resulted in the loss of three innocent lives at the hands of state troopers.
The conviction of Sellers, along with the acquittal of the other nine defendants, was widely perceived to be influenced by racial bias, leading to a 25-year struggle for justice and a subsequent full pardon.
Throughout his distinguished career, Sellers has also served as the Director of the African American Studies Program at the University of South Carolina, fostering a deeper understanding of African American culture and history.
Moreover, Sellers has held the esteemed position of president at Voorhees College, a historically black institution in South Carolina, from 2008 to 2015, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of education and civil rights.
