Hall honoring racist at Winthrop University vandalized again


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ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — Officials say that for the second time in recent months, someone calling attention to the racist past of old-South politician "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman has vandalized Winthrop University's Tillman Hall.

Authorities wouldn't detail exactly what the graffiti found Monday said. But in a written statement, university President Dan Mahony thanked workers for remove it quickly.

In July, someone threw paint on a portrait of Tillman inside the building.

Tillman, who served as South Carolina's governor and U.S. senator, was an avowed racist who bragged about the 1876 election-season massacre of black people in Hamburg and worked to keep African-Americans from voting. Tillman helped develop Winthrop and Clemson universities.

University officials are exploring what to do next about Tillman Hall in the larger context of how the university deals with racial issues.

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