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SAVANNAH, Ga. () — It’s seen as a safety concern today by Tybee Island authorities, but how did Orange Crush start?
Born in Savannah, Nadra Enzi remembers few trips to the beach, feeling unwelcome for being Black.
“Those of us born or raised in Savannah pretty much considered Tybee Island to be a klan meeting with a great backdrop,” said Enzi.
Tybee Island has had a connected history with Black Americans for centuries, from the Lazaretto slave quarantine station in the 1770s, the civil rights movement wade-ins in the 60s and Orange Crush.
Originally from New York, the creator of Orange Crush, Kenneth Flowe, also remembers his cousins saying there was no beach in Savannah.
“They were doing that because they didn’t want us to go out to Tybee Island and experience that look of disapproval that white folks would give you if you came to the beach,” said Flowe.
Although integrated in 1963, Tybee was out of the question for many Savannah State University (SSU) students.
Many would travel to Daytona Beach in Florida where a Black college reunion took place every year.
Enjoying their time in Daytona and seeing the importance of having a beach event for HBCU students, Flowe asked himself, “Why not have this at Tybee?”
Orange Crush ’89
Orange Crush 1989 (Kenneth Flowe)
“Orange Crush was essentially a Pan African event that, again, it had that element to it with regard to consciousness and unity,” said Jamal Toure, who was on the SSU student government.
At the time in the late 80s, SSU had no official school president and was in the works to merge with Armstrong State College by the Board of Regents.
“We have more of a concern about Savannah State, that it would wipe out the history and story of Savannah State,” said Toure.
The student president at the time, Dr. Ifekan-Shango Simon, says that the SSU student government was actively fighting the merger when they got a pitch from the vice president at the time, Flowe, to have a celebration event.
“When he started talking about the idea, I said, brother, you do understand that there haven’t been large numbers of Black people on Tybee Island since the day people waded to integrate it and got arrested?” said Enzi.
Simon saw this as a way to bring positive attention to the school to help in their current struggles and advertise the university.
“We basically had to put on a weekend of activities that shed a positive light on Savannah State,” said Simon.
“When Flowe came up with the idea, both him and I had to sell the idea to faculty.”
Including the SSU’s stand-out color orange and the name of a popular soda at the time, they came up with “Orange Crush.”
They came up with a dual event on the SSU campus and Tybee Beach with a series of events for the weekend, including block parties, concerts, talent shows, contests, national speakers and more.
Flowe also got permits for the events on Tybee, a team of students to clean after the event and got faculty to sign off to be chaperones.
Getting students from other HBCUs to join in on the celebration, the stage was set for April 21, 1989.
“No matter how we try to play the game, there is racism,” said Jamal Toure.
Although with a permit, the city called out multiple law enforcement agencies to oversee the event, including Chatham County Police, Savannah Police, Tybee Police, Savannah State Police, Fort Pulaski Police, Georgia State Troopers, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard.
“And at that point, I thought to myself, we are the safest African Americans on the eastern seaboard,” said Flowe.
With over 500 crushers, they were watched and monitored by the police and other beachgoers. While unsettling, Flowe looked to change the perspective.
He says they knew they had an agenda and that they would behave themselves to not draw police activity.
“So the only thing those cops really could do on that day is protect us if we were attacked,” said Flowe.
Not letting the stares and the overwhelming police presence stop them, they continued with their party and fellowship for the weekend, having daytime events on Tybee and nighttime on campus.
The first Orange Crush event was a success, with no incidents or arrests taking place.
“That’s the year the student government who originated it controlled it. Totally controlled it, meaning we said who was in and who was out,” said Simon.
In the months following the event, SSU saw an increase in enrollment, the cancellation of the merger and a new university president.
Orange Cush had accomplished its goal.
Despite the positive outcomes Orange Crush, the founders graduated and oversight dropped when SSU stopped sponsoring the event in 1991 following arrests and a drowning.
While the university events stopped, the beach party lived on.
Orange Crush 1991 to now
With the university no longer involved with Orange Crush, promoters began to take advantage of the lack of leadership.
“And then, you know, promoters, their objective is not necessarily a spring break for African American students takes to make money. So it just got a little chaotic,” said Flowe.
Since its inception, there have been shootings, robberies, car crashes and arrests reported on the spring break bash, but Toure notes that Orange Crush isn’t the only event with bad actors.
“When these other universities and colleges were having activities on the beach at Tybee, you had underage drinking that was going on, But do we discuss that? Do we have any conversation about that?” said Toure.
He says there is a double standard placed on events of mainly Black people where a gathering is immediately looked at as more dangerous and violent than other gatherings.
Today, Tybee Island has put measures in place to control the influx of visitors, including traffic controls and a safety checkpoint.
Some say it’s to discourage crushers from coming.
Watching the event for years over social media, Flowe says he has seen the same attitude from the city of Tybee towards the event.
“All they were trying to do was wish it away, or simply close their eyes and say, I hope they don’t come back,” said Flowe.
“But rather than embracing it and saying, OK, what’s the best way to make sure that these kids can come use this public beach and then leave without costing the city so much?”
A solution
He goes on to explain that the city’s involvement in facilitating a safer experience for crushers can be the solution for everyone involved.
“If you think about St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, at one point, I’m sure it was a nuisance, but the city of Savannah has embraced it and figured out how to make it work for everyone,” said Flowe.
He suggests having a shuttle system where crushers can get on and off Tybee safely.
Having this, he says, would minimize trash and items individuals can take on a bus and get people on and off the island at set times.
Flowe says Savannah should encourage promoters to throw events in the evening to make students eager to get off of the island.
Simon suggests SSU to sponsor the event again and include more events for crushers and the community, like art festivals, concerts, culture markets and more.
Advice for crushers
“People’s right to access public space and public waterways should not be abridged,” said Flowe.
“I think that if people start saying, ‘Well, I’m not gonna go to Orange Crush because I don’t feel want it.’ They’re moving in the wrong direction. You know, you’re letting the bully win.”
Simon says that Orange Crush is a time to have fun and that it can also be an opportunity to network and make connections, but to remember:
“Conduct is always important. I don’t tell people how to conduct themselves, but whatever conduct you think you would like to see, that’s how you should conduct yourself.”
Toure says racism still exists, and it’s important to stay aware and safe.
“Understand that if you gotta spend your money, spend your money with people who like you. Don’t spend your money with people who don’t like you,” said Toure.
Enzi says that this is a time to recognize and address the unspoken barriers faced by the Black community.
“You need to make sure that you do not give those who truly do not want you there any excuse to curtail your freedom to check out your record and to come up with new reasons not to have a Black college gathering. Be intelligent with it,” said Enzi.
While everyone has a different view of Orange Crush, this event is a part of the history of the Black and HBCU community in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry.
