The garden next to the Osborne Administration building was dedicated Friday morning to the three students who integrated USC in 1963.
The Desegregation Commemorative Garden has three sculpted juniper topiaries, flower beds, brick paths and a granite monument engraved with an original poem by university poet Nikky Finney.
“Much like the variety of plants in this beautiful garden, our strength comes from our diversity,” University President Harris Pastides said. “This garden serves as a permanent reminder of the tremendous progress we have made since that historic day in 1963, and provides us a special place that will grow and flourish as the university continues to move forward on this journey.”
Henrie Treadwell and James L. Solomon, two of the three students who integrated the school, also attended the dedication ceremony. Treadwell and Solomon retraced Osborne’s steps last Sept. 11, which began the yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of USC’s desegregation.