Booker T. Spicely

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Booker T. Spicely was born in Nottoway County, Virginia, in 1909. He attended two years of high school, and was drafted into the Army December 31, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His serial number was 33809308, and he was trained as a cook.

In 1944, Private Spicely was stationed at Camp Butner, North Carolina. While on a pass into the nearby city of Durham, he boarded a bus with a black family he was talking to at the bus stop, and sat in the front row behind the driver. The driver told them to go to the back of the bus. The family did, but Spicely refused, saying that he was a soldier and that he was fighting in the war. Soon afterwards, several white soldiers boarded the bus, and attempted to persuade Spicely to move to the back of the bus. Again, he protested, saying that he wore the same uniform as them and that he shouldn’t have to move seats. The soldiers agreed with him, and they themselves moved to the back of the bus.

Spicely continued arguing with the bus driver until he departed the bus. When he did, the driver followed him off the bus and shot Spicely twice in the chest.

The driver, Herman Lee Council, was tried for the second-degree murder of Spicely but was acquitted. Spicely’s killing was found to be in self defense.

After the trial, a riot ensued in the tobacco warehouse district of Durham, resulting in the destruction (via arson) of several of the white-owned tobacco warehouses.

The War Department conducted an investigation of Spicely’s death titled Subject: Racial Incident, Shooting of Negro Soldier, Durham, N.C. on 8 July 1944 at about 1940, dated July 12, 1944. His cause of death during World War II is listed as DNB, or “Died, Non-Battle.”