On May 8, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Kingstree and, after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, urged a crowd of 5,000 gathered on the grounds of Tomlinson High School to “march on ballot boxes” and use the vote to pursue social and economic justice. He also called for grassroots mobilization and challenged each attendee to help register new voters. Calling the moment a “second Reconstruction,” he reminded listeners that during the first Reconstruction South Carolina had elected African American representatives to serve in the State House and U.S. Congress, and argued that if this had happened before, it could happen again. His message extended beyond political and civil rights to a vision of a day when all would enjoy adequate jobs, food, and security.