Isaac Woodard

Isaac Woodard was a black man and veteran of WWII. He became famous after he returned home and, while still in uniform, was attacked in South Carolina while getting on a bus. The incident occured on February 12, 1946, and sparked huge protests, more noticeably among the black community in America. The assault began after having an argument with the bus driver who he had asked about using the restroom. The bus driver called the local police to come detain the black veteran, despite having done nothing wrong. The police showed up, beat Woodard, which left him permanently blind, and then arrested him for alleged misconduct. National outcry started after newspapers all across the country picked up on the egregious story. President Truman ordered a federal investigation into the case, but the sheriff in charge, after having been indicted and brought to court, was acquitted by an all-white jury. A noticeable feature of this case was that it became so huge thanks to the recent growth of radio and broadcasting in America. Because of radio, it was getting much more difficult for white people to get away with acts of blatant racism unscathed.