Prologue

The historical fiction focuses on the personhood of Delano Middleton. Delano was one of the four people killed during the Orangeburg Massacre. (Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond and the unborn child of Louise Cawley (during an earlier protest). While that event ended his life, it did not encompass his life. Running After Delano focuses on Delano Middleton through the lens of his 10 year old nephew Alonzo Middleton. (who is now the father of the book's author) Alonzo runs behind Delano to observe his relationships, his work ethic, sports, hopes and aspirations. In the process, Alonzo has many misadventures as a fun loving but at times mischievous youngster. This book was cultivated through the interviews of over twenty men and women that lived in the community during that period of time. The author hopes to use this historical fiction to connect the dots between the historic civil rights movement and the contemporary youth culture. This is a book about civil rights, sports, and mentoring. Fifteen percent of the net proceeds of this book will go to Orangeburg, South Carolina based charities.