It’s important to repeal the SC Heritage Act. Why? Basic human decency.

The NAACP at the University of South Carolina has made repealing the Heritage Act its main objective.

The Heritage Act, passed by the South Carolina legislature in 2000 to prevent the removal of historic monuments on public property, is more than just a bill to keep “South Carolina history intact.” It is a law designed to represent the past instead of celebrating our future.

The people whose statues and monuments are protected by the Heritage Act are the very same people who would not want me to attend the University of South Carolina.

They are the very people who would have operated on me and my fellow Black women because of the notion that we do not feel pain.

They are the very people who would put my ancestors on the front lines to take all the shots fired in a war they entered to keep us enslaved.

I have to ask myself, “Do I really want to go to a school whose values uphold those of segregationists, confederate generals and racist figures?”

My family asks me why I did not choose a Historically Black College or University, or HBCU, where my race is valued.

The answer to the question is because I know I was put in this place to fix the problem at my university. I want the current students and alumni to be proud when they say they graduated from the University of South Carolina.

As students, we should be worrying about our next test in class and not what the name of the building is where we take those tests.

It is sad to say that we cannot feel valued at the school we pay thousands of dollars to attend, and so I have committed my time at the University of South Carolina to tackling this issue.

The administration at our university is not trustworthy and that is why it is up to the students to continue to push for change with or without the help of the administration.

That is why we will hold the Aim to Rename Protest at 1 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 5, marching from the Russell House Union to the State House grounds in response to the complacency of our legislators and board of trustees at the University of South Carolina.

If our legislators won’t do anything, then our school administration should support us.

How do they expect students to uphold the Carolinian Creed when their values do not align?

We oppose intolerance by promoting integrity within our campus community. Our common values are formed upon the foundation of our creed, which emphasizes openness and civility. - The Carolinian Creed

It is disappointing to have the school say they support us, but do nothing to show that support.

We need the support of the whole state if we want to make effective change, so that is why I am calling on you, the readers of this op-ed, to do your research.

Learn what the Heritage Act means and why it important to repeal it.

This is not just an African American problem because it deals with the morality of humans and basic human decency.

Show your support by attending the protest and making your voice heard. The goal is to get the attention of our South Carolina legislators to amend the Heritage Act and to tell the USC Board of Trustees it is time to act on behalf of the students’ needs and not their own.

The NAACP at the University of South Carolina will not stop until real change is made. We hope that you will join us in this fight.

Caley Bright is a sophomore criminal justice major at the University of South Carolina and president of the university’s NAACP chapter.

This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM.