First day

It’s time to drive to the registrar, you wake up in your Charleston home, have breakfast with your family, and have a moment of prayer with your pastor. Mom, Dad, your lawyer, and your pastor all load up into your car and drive up to Clemson. You know once you get there, they won’t be following you in. You need to do this on your own. You pull up in front of the registrar at Tillman hall and see a sea of reporters and onlookers. Pushing your way through you make it to the registrar and get your schedule. You step out on the front steps of Tillman Hall and face the crowd. One reporter comes up with a microphone and camera crew.

“Mr.Gantt, how does it feel to be the first negro student at Clemson?” he asks. “I feel pretty good, I don’t know how being the first negro at Clemson will feel, but I look forward to working hard and learning.”

Out in the crowd, you hear a student joke that it doesn’t matter, you won’t last anyways. You just laugh and walk away. He doesn’t know you, you don’t give up. You smile and wave the reporters goodbye.