This petition was created in an effort to rename Strom Thurmond High School. As many of you may know, there is currently a petition with over 11,000 signatures to rename The Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center at the University of South Carolina. Please sign that petition and continue reading for a bit of history on Strom Thurmond and why a high school student population that has very strong black representation should not be required to involuntarily pay him reverence during their school day.

In addition to the name of the school, there is a large portrait of him in the lobby and in 2016, Edgefield County Schools accepted a statue of him to include on their campus. His likeness and history should be remembered in museums and books, but his determination to prevent the advancement of black lives makes him unfit to be celebrated or commemorated. Also included are testimonies from members of the community (former students, teachers, parents, concerned citizens, etc.)

FACTS:

Strom Thurmond was a vehement segregationist. He even went so far as to filibuster for 24 hours in an effort to thwart the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Hypocritically, he fathered a biracial (African-American) daughter, Essie Mae. Essie Mae’s mother, Carrie Butler, was 16 when she birthed her daughter. Thurmond was 22. He never acknowledged Essie Mae publicly. 

An actual quote from Strom Thurmond:  “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, into our schools, our churches and our places of recreation and amusement.”

He was a primary drafter of the Southern Manifesto, which denounced the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education and encouraged Southern states to prevent public school integration.

He NEVER publicly renounced his racist views. 

 

TESTIMONIES: 

“I absolutely think any venue in which a known racist is named and being glorified should be taken down and changed to reflect a more equal and inclusive America. I think perpetuating those detrimental ideals only serves to give those beliefs a platform, allowing people to see them as acceptable when truly they are not. My brother attended STHS in the special needs program, and I know his experience was a good one, in that people did not treat him differently based on his intellectual abilities so I would hope that their ideals would not align with hate and discrimination.”

“When my family moved to North Augusta, my mother researched Strom Thurmond High School because of the name. She decided not to send my brothers and me there.”

“It’s just plain wrong. He supported segregation and was against civil rights. It can't be chalked up to a ‘Well, things were different then.’ I do recall his portrait in the lobby of the school and learning about his political achievements, but I don’t recall being taught his racist ideals. Our choir actually sang at his 100th birthday. I would venture to say the majority of the students that attend STHS are POC. For the school carry a name of someone who was clearly a racist is disgusting and honestly time is up on this.”

“Strom Thurmond High School should be renamed because it is named in honor of the well known RACIST senator. I think most of the student body knew or had heard rumor to the legacy of Strom Thurmond, the racist white senator that secretly conducted sexual acts with a black woman who later conceded his child, or so the story goes. This made me feel uneasy and heightened my sense of distrust in those that did not look the same as me. I loved the school and the sense of pride that we had during the time that I attended, especially in our athletics associations; but, the values of the school do not align with the name.”

“If the name is offensive to students or really anyone in our community, why not change it? Why should we honor or commemorate someone who made such poor choices and hurt so many? I do not recall learning about him. I now teach in this county and will be finding out if it is in the Social Studies curriculum now.”

“I’m not originally from here, but I am familiar with the heinous practice of the south honoring advocates of slavery and segregation by naming everything after them. Strom Thurmond High School definitely should be renamed.” 

There was an attempt in the 1970’s to change the name of STHS. It was not successful, but we can hopefully continue those local activists’ work! Let’s right this wrong! Please sign and share.