Winthrop trustees won’t act ‘corporately’ to address Tillman Hall protest

The Winthrop University Board of Trustees decided Saturday not to consider or adopt any formal resolution regarding Tillman Hall in the wake of this week’s student-led demonstration.

Around 70-80 students and faculty participated Wednesday in a lively and peaceful march to help raise support to rename the school’s administration building, which protesters say represents a man who espoused racist ideals.

Karl Folkens, chair of the school’s Board of Trustees, said that while many individual members have strong feelings on the matter, the board itself will not adopt any public resolution regarding a name change.

“What the board has decided to do is not act corporately,” said Folkens.

Folkens said that creating a full resolution for debate was “futile” because trustees felt it was not likely the state legislature would allow the name change.

The South Carolina Heritage Act, passed in 2000, prevents anyone from changing the name of any street, bridge, structure or park that has been “dedicated in memory of, or name for, any historic figure or historic event.”

Changing the state law requires a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly.

Following an exuberant public protest, student demonstrators briefly took part in a sit-in on the main floor of Tillman Hall, where they engaged in a letter-writing campaign to their legislators.

“The focus should be, by those who want to change, to deal with their legislators,” said Folkens. “Those who are in-state students or faculty or administrators or staff, they have representatives, and they need to let them know their sentiments.”

Protesters say the building’s name, which is dedicated to former South Carolina governor and senator Benjamin Tillman, promotes a racist legacy.

Tillman was instrumental in both founding Clemson University and establishing Winthrop College as a teaching school for women. But he was also famous for his violent rhetoric against the state’s black population as a supporter of lynch mobs.

This story was originally published October 1, 2016 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Winthrop trustees won’t act ‘corporately’ to address Tillman Hall protest."