Black lawmakers in South Carolina say they were left out of writing anti-discrimination bill

Source: Associated Press

Black lawmakers in South Carolina say they were left out of writing anti-discrimination bill

BY JEFFREY COLLINS
Updated 1:40 PM EDT, March 28, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House has passed a bill to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public colleges and universities over the objections of Black lawmakers who said they weren’t included in crafting the proposal.

The House’s most conservative wing celebrated the bill passing 84-30 on Wednesday after Republicans voted to limit debate and prevent lawmakers from proposing any more changes.

Democrats said the initiatives commonly called DEI are necessary to make sure schools meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations — and they called the bill another stand-in for fears of a woke bogeyman. Republicans said DEI programs try to solve problems caused by discrimination with more discrimination.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-dei-diversity-equity-inclusion-ban-a68ba66114b1afd5401589862cae937b