“THEY WERE LOOKING FOR $1,000 THAT WOULD GO INTO THEIR POCKET, BUT INSTEAD WE REVERSED IT, AND THEY HAD TO TAKE CARE OF US FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS.”
PROTESTERS HOPED THAT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN WOULD HELP FORCE AN END TO
SEGREGATION.
THE NINE PROTESTERS WERE SHIPPED TO THE NOTORIOUS YORK COUNTY PRISON FARM, WHERE THEY ENDURED LONG DAYS OF HARD LABOR WITH NO TIME FOR RECREATION.
AFTER 28 DAYS, THE FRIENDSHIP NINE WERE RELEASED. SINCE HE HAD A RECORD AND WAS BRANDED a “TROUBLEMAKER,” WILLIAMSON
COULDN’T FIND WORK, SO HE HAD TO LEAVE ROCK HILL.