This petition is to gain the support of those wishing to see the name of the Strom Thurmond building changed. For the longest time, Strom Thurmond advocated for the idea of racial segregation during his time as a politician. This belief does not coincide with that of the Christian faith that Charleston Southern University wishes to embody.

             This university has a call to embody the ideals of Christ and by allowing the name of a man who acted in a way that contradicts the teachings of Christ is not right. Whatever Strom Thurmond did to earn his name on this building pales in comparison to the plight of this country right now. The plight of this country is racism and as a Christian university, we must reflect our faith by decrying instances of racism, we must not give attention to those who have contributed to this issue.

           That is why the name of Strom Thurmond must come down. We cannot continue to let the names of people like Strom Thurmond adorn their names on our universities and institutions that are supposed to promote racial equality and the love and values of the Christian faith.