Anti-DEI Policy (S. 686)

This bill prohibits any government agency or school from awarding grants or contracts that classify, prioritize, or set a quota based on race. Any policy or contract that violates this would be void and unenforceable.

We oppose this bill because: S. 686 contains a broad prohibition that could endanger everything from medical research to teacher recruitment programs. It is a misguided attempt to silence speech and stifle initiatives that seek to address the glaring inequities in South Carolina’s schools, communities, and other institutions.

We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are important factors for public entities to consider when awarding grants and contracts. Systemic racism has kept black and brown people out of many spaces white people have long had access to. This bill would only further the issues of systemic racism in South Carolina, making places of education and government less diverse.

As ACLU National President Deborah Archer has written, the nationwide campaign to attack "DEI" has broader aims, and we should remain steadfast against these attacks. The very infrastructure of civil rights law in this country is at stake.