Hundreds turn out for Friendship 9 book release and signing

A crowd of at least 200 people turned out at the Palmetto Room in downtown Rock Hill Friday evening for the official release of the book “No Fear for Freedom: The story of the Friendship 9.”

The book tells the story of the 9 African-American Friendship College students who were arrested for holding a sit-in at the McCrory’s lunch counter downtown more than 50 years ago.

Children’s author Kimberly Johnson wrote the book… and says it can be read by children and adults.

“If we don’t keep those stories alive, they will not know how wonderful and rich their history is,”  Johnson said.

“Children need to understand that ‘I got to this place because of the sacrifices that so many others made’.”

Several surviving members of the Friendship 9 turned out for Friday’s book release and signing.

The 28-to-32 page book, illustrated by Vanessa Thompson, is the first to chronicle the story of the important event during the civil rights movement.