Former South Carolina Star Marcus Lattimore Calls for Renaming Gamecocks' Strom Thurmond Center

Marcus Lattimore was a star running back at South Carolina before several bad injuries limited his rise and resulted in a short NFL career. The 28-year-old is now back at his alma mater as the Gamecocks' Director of Player Development.

Lattimore's voice carries weight, and that is why it was inspiring to see him speak out about a facility on campus that is named after a controversial figure.

To celebrate well known segragationist Strom Thurmond’s legacy by keeping his name on our Wellness Center sends a contradicting message to our black students @UofSC. We can no longer be held back by those whose ideals represent division. We must continue to fight for equality.
— Marcus Lattimore (@MarcusLattimore) June 17, 2020

Strom Thurmond is a former US Senator who spent his career supporting racial segregation. His name currently graces the school's wellness and fitness center, and it is more than clear why that is a problem. All students should feel welcome, and Lattimore makes a great point about the contradictory message that comes with Thurmond's name being on any facility.

This message from Lattimore comes after the Gamecocks' biggest rivals, Clemson, dealt with a similar issue and ended up removing the name of John C. Calhoun from its honors college.

NEW: @ClemsonUniv has removed the name of slavery defender John C. Calhoun from its honors college after protests from students and alumni.https://t.co/v2T8iff8wA
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) June 12, 2020

Lattimore is sure to gather support here, and placing this issue into the national spotlight should help the school make the right (and easy) decision. There is no reason to pay homage to anyone who sought to divide our society based on the color of someone's skin.