Friday Five – 7.2.21

Hannah Gertz, Summer 2021 Intern

Here are a few articles you may have missed this week. Take a few minutes and get smarter before church coffee hour this Sunday…

1. 1. Mace Votes Solo Regarding Confederate Statues On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Nancy Mace voted to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Hill. The statues, which include several South Carolinians, are representative of a “racist past in America”, according to Mace and several other Congressmen. Mace was the only Republican in the state to take this action, with the other five Republicans voting ‘no’ on the measure. Previous efforts have been taken to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Hill, but have failed to pass both chambers.
   2. Clyburn Speaks Out In an interview with the New York Times this week, Representative Jim Clyburn of S.C. House District 6 spoke out against the ‘Defund the Police’ slogan adopted by many leaders in the Democratic party within the past year. According to Clyburn, this phrase has become largely unpopular with constituents, and as such, he has urged leaders to stop “cutting the throats of the party”. This move is notable, as for the past year, Democratic leadership had not directly spoken out against this idea.
   3. NCAA enacts NIL Policy  As of Thursday, following a Supreme Court decision, NCAA athletes can now profit off of their, “name, image, and likeness”. The move has been a long-time coming, as the NCAA has been accused of cartel-like activity for many years. As of Thursday, the South Carolina Attorney General has approved of a state law passed earlier this spring regarding the same topic, furthering the new policy within the state.
   4. General Assembly Confirms Commerce Secretary  Among budget veto overrides, the State Senate approved Governor McMaster’s new Commerce Secretary appointment on Tuesday. Following the unanimous appointment, Secretary Lightsey has promised a fruitful time of investment and business growth throughout the whole state of South Carolina.
   5. Invisible Art?  As modern art evolves into unthinkable mediums, some of them, it turns out, are invisible, as well. An Italian artist sold an ‘invisible sculpture’ this week for over 18K at an art auction this week. The sculpture, according to artist Salvatore Garau, requires “creativity and imagination” on behalf of viewers. Click on the video within the article to see it for yourself

1. Bonus: Happy Independence Day!  Last but certainly not least, Happy 4^th of July weekend! This year, many Upstate communities will see the return of many beloved summer holiday traditions, such as firework shows and outdoor festivals. If you aren’t traveling, click on the link to see all the ways you can celebrate America with family and friends this weekend