COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A cold day in Columbia did not deter hundreds of people from rallying at the Statehouse steps Monday against a House subcommittee's proposal to shutter the historically black university in Orangeburg.
Rev. Joe Darby, the vice president of the Charleston chapter of the NAACP, says South Carolina State University is severely underfunded and routinely has been financially undercut compared to other public colleges and universities.
SC State is the only public historically black university in the state.
Darby went on to say that the university is seen as a political playing field for South Carolina's powerful. He called on alumni to get involved with the school, including "going after" the people who use SC State as a so-called playground.
"I will die for South Carolina State University," said the alumni association's vice president.
SC State has been under fire for nearly two years, after several university leaders were implicated in criminal activities and a new president was brought in. The university also battled shrinking enrollment, cutbacks on programs, and low graduation rates, problems that ultimately led to $14 million in debt and several requests to lawmakers for millions of dollars in loans.
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