CONTACT: Office of Representative John King, South Carolina House District 49
Statement from State Representative John King on Governor McMaster’s Order Halting Race-Based Spending Quotas
ROCK HILL, SC – Representative John King (D-York) made the following statement in response to Governor McMaster’s order prohibiting race-based spending quotas for state agencies:
Today I am calling out Governor Henry McMaster, Senate President Thomas Alexander, and Speaker Murrell Smith for their reckless and revealing attempt to halt race-based spending quotas and set-aside programs across our state agencies.
Governor McMaster’s order does not “promote fairness.” Instead, it exposes the ugly truth: they are preparing to make this next legislative session a fight about race – because they have nothing else to offer.
Black South Carolinians make up more than 25% of our state, yet these quotas required just 10% of government spending to go to minority-owned businesses. Removing set-asides and contracting protections isn’t about equality. It’s about shutting the door to opportunity and gutting the pathways minority-owned businesses finally had to compete for generational wealth.
For decades, marginalized communities in this state were locked out – intentionally – from economic opportunity. Set-aside programs were one of the few tools ensuring that Black contractors, minority-owned businesses, and underserved communities could compete on something even close to a level playing field. Taking these protections away tells us exactly who this Governor and his legislative allies are fighting for – and who they’re fighting against.
I will not stand by while the Governor, the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House weaponize their power to drag us backward.
If they make this legislative session about attacking opportunity for all South Carolinians, they will be met head-on. We will not be silent. We will not be complicit. And we will not allow the people of this state to be erased or ignored.
Tucked beneath the sheltering branches of live oaks on the quiet outskirts of Charleston, in Awendaw, SC sits Windwood Farm Home for Children—a place where healing isn’t just offered, it’s lived every day.
For years, children have arrived at Windwood carrying heavy stories in small hands—stories marked by trauma, uncertainty, and experiences no child should ever have to name. But the moment they step onto the grounds, something subtle begins to shift. It starts with a greeting from a staff member who remembers their name, a horse that nudges their shoulder during equine therapy, or the stillness of the farm’s trails where breathing finally slows.
Here, boys learn how to trust again through routines that feel safe and predictable. They wake to the sound of roosters instead of chaos. They sit at dinner tables where conversations aren’t rushed or loud or frightening. They meet therapists who help them rebuild what life tried to break. They discover that they are not defined by the moments that brought them here.
One boy—let’s call him Jamie—arrived barely speaking, his eyes more familiar with the floor than with people. But over weeks spent caring for the farm animals, feeding the chickens, and learning to ride horses, he found a sense of responsibility and pride no one had ever given him. And slowly, words returned. Smiles followed. One afternoon, after months of silence, he finally said, “I feel safe here.”
That’s Windwood.
Every corner of the farm, from the cottages to the classrooms, carries the quiet mission of the staff: to give children space to heal, grow, and rediscover their own worth. It’s a place where small victories are celebrated—finishing homework, making a friend, sleeping through the night, trying something new. And behind each victory stands a team of counselors, teachers, and caregivers who show up day after day with patience that doesn’t run out.
Windwood Farm Home for Children is more than a refuge—it’s a reminder that with compassion, structure, and unwavering belief, even the deepest wounds can begin to mend. It is a home where childhood is rebuilt, one steady, hopeful day at a time.
Charleston has always traded on charm — mossy oaks, cobblestones, Lowcountry foodways and a built-in postcard aesthetic. Lately, though, that charm is being repackaged, polished and sold back to us. The city is increasingly less a lived-in place and more of a marketing platform: an engine for influencer shoots, PR-driven feel-good stories, and glossy luxury-real-estate narratives that treat the historic city as backdrop, prop and brand. That shift matters because it reshapes who gets to tell Charleston’s story, who benefits from that story, and who gets left out of the frame.
Faces not places
Flip through lifestyle roundups, local magazines or CVB feeds and you’ll see a predictable pattern: curated “faces of” spreads, influencer spotlights and wardrobe-ready portraits set against Charleston’s architecture. These features are often framed as community-service journalism or celebration — and sometimes they are — but they also perform the same job as a location scout for a marketing campaign: they normalize the idea that the city’s value lies in how it photographs. Charleston Magazine’s recurring “Faces of Charleston” sections, for example, blur editorial and advertorial lines, creating flattering mini-portraits of the city’s brand carriers.
That aesthetic economy is lucrative. Destination marketing — the curated stream of images and personalities that invites out-of-town dollars — is explicit in the city’s tourism strategy. The local visitor bureau actively encourages user-generated content and shares those glossy moments back to national audiences, turning everyday scenes into marketing assets. The payoff is measurable: tourism continues to be a multi-billion-dollar engine for the region. But what looks like organic charm is increasingly staged and monetized, with benefits flowing to a small ecosystem of people who can deliver “content” that photographs well.
PR firms disconnected from place
Into this visual economy step PR firms — both local shops and national agencies operating in Charleston — whose job is to make brands look inevitable. A healthy PR scene can help small businesses, cultural institutions and nonprofits tell meaningful stories. But when PR becomes divorced from local realities, it risks turning narratives into spin: curated launches for new developments, lifestyle repositioning for residential neighborhoods, or feel-good features that obscure displacement, rising rents, or the loss of small businesses.
Charleston hosts a growing roster of PR and marketing agencies that are expert at packaging a story that reads well in feeds and magazines. Their skill is not the problem; the problem is when strategy privileges optics over accountability — when crisis-management and influencer placements substitute for genuine community engagement. Local PR directories and rankings show a robust industry presence, but they don’t measure civic stewardship.
Luxury real estate as taste curator
Luxury real estate agents and developers have become major art directors in this new Charleston. Listings today often lead with lifestyle vignettes: “designer chef’s kitchen, perfect for entertaining on King Street,” “waterfront terrace ideal for sunset portraits.” Beyond the copy, marketing budgets buy professional shoots, staged furnishings, influencer previews and glossy placement in the same platforms that sell tourism — all of which ladder into higher perceived value. Real-estate reporting from 2025 shows the Charleston luxury market remaining strong, with agents and sellers leaning into presentation and staged narrative as differentiators.
That feedback loop matters. When exclusive developments and multimillion-dollar renovations are marketed as the new “faces” of Charleston, the cultural definition of the city shifts. Public spaces become backdrops for private branding; neighborhoods that once had mixed incomes and local businesses become settings for lifestyle editorials aimed at prospective buyers from other regions. The result is twofold: the market rewards the lookers and the look-makers, and it incentivizes more projects that prioritize appearance over accessibility.
Who wins, who loses
This is not merely a complaint against pretty photography. Visual storytelling has always played a role in place-making. But the current balance of power — where tourism bureaus, PR firms, influencers and luxury-market advertisers amplify the same narrow visual language — concentrates benefit and flattens complexity.
Winners in this economy are clear: professional content creators with aesthetic polish, PR agencies who can buy placement and spin, developers who convert scenery into price premium. Losers are less visible: longtime residents priced out by rising housing costs, small businesses that can’t compete with branded pop-ups, and community narratives that are quieter or harder to sell than a sunset silhouette on a piazza.
What could be different
If Charleston wants to keep its economic benefits while preserving civic life, three adjustments would help:
1. Transparency in content — When a feature is paid-for or part of a marketing campaign, label it clearly. Readers can then assess editorial weight versus sponsored intent. (Advertorial sections like some “Faces” packages already blur that line; clearer labeling would help.)
2. Local-first PR practices — Agencies that work in Charleston could adopt community-impact measures as part of their KPIs: does a campaign create local jobs, preserve accessible storefronts, or partner with neighborhood groups? PR rankings and listings can highlight firms doing the work.
3. Responsible real-estate marketing — Developers and brokers might include neighborhood stewardship commitments with glossy launches: funding for local arts, commitments to affordable units, or transparent plans for traffic and infrastructure impacts. Market reports show the luxury sector’s resilience; directing some of that capital back into community assets would be a meaningful rebalancing.
Bottom line
Charleston’s beauty is real — and it sells. But when beauty becomes the main currency, and marketing ecosystems (influencers, PR firms, luxury developers) convert the city to a perpetual photoshoot, what gets lost is the everyday life that made those images matter in the first place. The remedy isn’t to ban polished images or marketing: it’s to diversify who makes them, why they’re made, and who benefits from the proceeds. Only then will Charleston be more than a backdrop — it’ll be a place whose story is told by the many, not just the marketable few.
Raines and RREAF Holdings have officially debuted the DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview, expanding their growing footprint across South Carolina. The newly converted 126-key property introduces elevated amenities and refreshed F&B offerings just minutes from historic downtown Charleston.
Raines and RREAF Holdings open the DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview in Charleston, S.C. This latest location marks Raines’ third DoubleTree property to join the portfolio this year, joining the Summerville and Greenville locations that opened in July in South Carolina.
DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview is a conversion property with 126 keys. It has standard DoubleTree amenities, as well as a fitness center, outdoor pool, firepits, and pet-friendly rooms. The on-site F&B options have been elevated to better meet guest expectations. The hotel restaurant serves breakfast and dinner, and there is grab-and-go lunch options from the property’s lobby market. In the evening, the hotel bar has crafted cocktails.
DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview is located two miles from Downtown Historic Charleston. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and Charleston International Airport are less than 30 minutes away, with Folly Beach and Isle of Palms Beach also nearby for guests looking to soak up some sun.
“We are thrilled to welcome yet another fantastic Doubletree by Hilton property to our management portfolio,” Grey Raines, managing partner of Raines, said in a statement. “Every hotel conversion is an opportunity to elevate,” “We’re also very excited to continue leverage Hilton’s powerful distribution platform to deliver the exceptional, guest-focused experiences that our hospitality partners and travelers expect. We greatly enjoy the opportunity to work with such a trusted and globally recognized brand.”
Raines oversaw DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview’s conversion, leveraging the company’s experience to make the renovation process as seamless as possible.
“The conversion of this property to the DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Riverview represents a strategic repositioning that enhances both the guest experience and the long-term value of the asset,” said Kip Sowden, CEO of RREAF Holdings. “We are excited to partner with Raines and Hilton to bring this iconic brand to one of the most sought-after vacation destinations. This transition allows us to leverage Hilton’s global platform while elevating amenities and services that meet the expectations of today’s travelers.”
We appreciate and thank Hotel Management, especially Esther Hertzfeld, for announcing RREAF and Raines DoubleTree conversion. To access the full article on Hotel Management, please click here.
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