South Carolina State University band take the field before the homecoming game Saturday, October 4, 2025 in Orangeburg.
Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff
“You fast forward 20-something years later, and we are now rising on that day and replacing where the Confederate flag once flew with the state’s flagship HBCU flag,” said Grant.
Grant, along with state Rep. Jerry Govan and state Sen. Deon Tedder, requested the honor in a letter sent to Gov. Henry McMaster in December 2025. Grant said the effort followed the realization that SC State’s previous national HBCU championship in the 2020–21 season did not result in the flag being flown above Columbia.
“We assumed that every national championship team gets that flag flown automatically,” said Grant, “not knowing what the process was.”
Devon Owens, senior adviser and executive assistant to South Carolina NAACP State Conference President Brenda Murphy, said the flag added meaningful symbolism to King Day at the Dome while connecting to King’s legacy.
S.C. State University’s flag is the first HBCU in South Carolina to fly atop the Statehouse dome in Columbia.
Nick Reynolds/Staff
“I think it’s a great addition,” said Owens. “You know, MLK fought for rights for all people, and that included the rights for high-quality education for folks at all colleges and universities.”
Owens noted that while progress has been made since the Civil Rights era, more work remains.
“I do believe that we have made a great stride, but I also know that there’s a lot more to go,” he said. “Moments like this remind us why it’s important to continue advancing opportunities for all students and communities.”
Grant echoed that sentiment, noting that the flag represents more than a single school’s achievements.
“While South Carolina State’s flag flies on that day, it is a representation of all of our HBCUs in South Carolina,” said Grant. “It is a source of pride and appreciation for the contributions they make to this state and beyond.”
