PHOTOS: Repeal to Heritage Act

Over the past few years, students have been advocating for the renaming of several campus buildings. The Heritage Act of 2000 was made in response to the Confederate buildings facing a potential renaming. The dilemma at hand is that the university is a state institution. If the school attempts to override the state legislature, it could lose its state funding. The main buildings in question are Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, Thomas Cooper Library, Blatt P.E. Center, Sims College and the Wade Hampton State Office Building.

A photo outside of the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center on Jan. 16, 2023. The Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center is named after the U.S. Senator.

A photo of Thomas Cooper Library on Jan.16, 2023. Thomas Cooper, was the second president of what is now the University of South Carolina. While vocal against the slave trade, upon his immigration he purchased two enslaved families and wrote about how good slavery is.

A photo of Blatt Physical Education Center on Jan. 16, 2023. Blatt P.E. Center was named after Solomon “Sol” Blatt, South Carolina Speaker of the House who has the record for the longest filibuster in U.S. history against the Civil Right Act. Blatt was known to spend decades fighting against racial assimilation.

A photo outside of the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center on Jan. 16, 2023. The Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center is named after the U.S. Senator.

The Wade Hampton building pays homage to Wade Hampton III, a Confederate general who then became the state’s governor in 1876. A photo of the Wade Hampton College at the front of the building is shown on Jan. 16, 2023.

A photo of the Sims College building is shown on Jan. 16, 2023. J. Marion Sims, “the father of modern gynecology”, performed unethical medical procedures on enslaved women.