Orangeburg, South Carolina — New York native Linwood Riddick could have spent his golden years in Summerville, South Carolina, tickling the ivories or whatever else tickled his fancy.

But instead, the 79-year-old retired shop owner has spent the last six years poring over textbooks and dragging himself to class at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, relentless in his pursuit of a college education.

“I just stepped on the accelerator and didn’t stop,” Riddick told CBS News. “…I was determined to complete what I started.” 

To understand why it mattered so, we need to go back to 1968, when protests against segregation were erupting across the country.

One of the deadliest protests occurred at South Carolina State University, where three unarmed Black students were shot and killed by police in what became known as the Orangeburg Massacre. The three killed were Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond Jr. and Delano Middleton. Smith and Hammond were students at SCSU, and Middleton was a high school senior whose mother worked at the university. 

More than two dozen protesters were also wounded.

Nine South Carolina Highway patrolmen, all White, were indicted on federal charges in the shooting, but were all acquitted.

Linwood Riddick had never heard of the Orangeburg Massacre until a few years ago when he stumbled on a campus memorial. He says he knew right then what he had to do.

“I said, you know, I’m coming here…because I want to put my contributions to their sacrifice,’ Riddick said. “And when I get my degree, it’s going to be in their name.”

“In his mind, he was completing their mission,” SCSU President Alexander Conyers told CBS News of Riddick. “…He started here in 2019 with zero credits, you know, driving from Summerville every day, which is almost an hour to class and back home.” 

That patience and persistence earned him a bachelor’s degree in music industry. And earlier this month, he walked across the stage to a standing ovation.

But the more important walk was yet to come, one done alone and without any pomp or circumstance to the Orangeburg Massacre memorial.

With that, Riddick’s mission was complete. And although it started as a symbolic gesture, Conyers says it’ll have a very real impact.

“Mr. Riddick has brought this back to the forefront for this university, for this community, for this state — to remind us of our solemn duty to never forget.”