Minister and community leader who helped move James Stephenson to safety and later became one of the men prosecuted after the uprising
Rev. Calvin Lockridge was a Black minister at First Missionary Baptist Church and respected member of Columbia’s community. When James Stephenson faced the threat of lynching, Lockridge helped take him to Nashville, removing him from the immediate danger in Columbia.
Lockridge was later arrested and charged with other Black leaders in connection with the events of February 1946. His testimony also documented the violence he witnessed during the raid and its aftermath. He recalled seeing Highway Patrol Commissioner Lynn Bomar kick his brother Raymond and said the mistreatment he observed was carried out by highway patrolmen. Lockridge also provided an account of William Gordon’s distressed state while the men were being held in jail before Gordon and James “Digger” Johnson were shot in custody.
Lockridge was among the 23 defendants acquitted by the all-white jury in Lawrenceburg.
Rev. Calvin Lockridge
