Samuel Leamon 'Sammy' Younge Jr., a 21-year-old African-American man, was a Navy veteran and a dedicated civil rights activist studying political science at the Tuskegee Institute. On the evening of January 3, 1966, after a day spent registering Black voters in Macon County, Alabama, Younge stopped at a Standard Oil gas station in his hometown of Tuskegee.
What began as a simple request to use the restroom escalated into a fatal confrontation that would underscore the deep-seated racial tensions of the era.
When Younge asked to use the restroom, the white gas station attendant, 68-year-old Marvin Segrest, directed him to the segregated 'colored' facility located at the back of the station. Younge, a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Tuskegee Institute Advancement League, refused, asserting his right to use the public restroom as outlined by the recently passed Civil Rights Act. A heated argument ensued between the two men. Witnesses reported that during the altercation, Younge retrieved a golf club from a vehicle. Segrest, claiming he felt threatened, retrieved a pistol. The confrontation moved between the gas station and a nearby bus station, culminating in Segrest firing his gun. Samuel Younge Jr. was struck by a bullet under his left eye and died from the wound.
Marvin Segrest was arrested the following day but was soon released on a $20,000 bond. Initially, white county officials were hesitant to indict him, sparking immediate protests from Tuskegee students and civil rights activists. These demonstrations, some drawing as many as 1,500 participants, continued for weeks, demanding justice for Younge. A Macon County grand jury eventually indicted Segrest for second-degree murder. However, Segrest's defense attorneys successfully argued for a change of venue, claiming he could not receive a fair trial in the majority-Black Macon County.
The trial was moved to the neighboring, predominantly white, Lee County. In December 1966, an all-white jury heard the case. The defense argued that the shooting was an 'unfortunate accident' and that Segrest acted in self-defense, believing the golf club Younge held was a weapon. After deliberating for just over an hour, the jury acquitted Marvin Segrest of all charges. The verdict sparked outrage and further protests in Tuskegee. Segrest died of cancer in 1986, and though the FBI reviewed the case in 2008, it was closed in 2011 as there was no one left to prosecute.
