CBS News 'On the Road with Steve Hartman' shares 79-year-old SC State graduate Linwood Riddick's inspirational story

Author: Sam Watson, Director of University Relations|Published: May 24, 2025|All News, Student News

plaza — Linwood Riddick at the Orangeburg Massacre Smith-Hammond-Middleton Legacy Plaza at South Carolina State University. (Screenshot from CBS News "On the Road with Steve Hartman.)

Thanks to CBS News and "On the Road with Steve Hartman" for sharing the inspirational journey of 79-year-old recent SC State graduate Linwood Riddick.

Hartman and his team visited the SC State campus earlier this week after reading about Riddick's journey to earning his degree in music industry. Riddick was inspired to study at SC State as a way to honor the legacy of Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond and Delano Middleton, who were killed in the Orangeburg Massacre on the campus in 1968.

You can watch the "On the Road" segment here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retired-shop-owner-earns-college-degree-to-honor-victims-orangeburg-massacre/

Riddick's story also has garnered international attention from such news sources as National Public Radio, Katie Couric, NBC News, Essence, the Today Show and numerous social media platforms.