By Andy Brack
Richland County has the courage. So do 19 different municipalities across the state, from Cayce in Lexington County to Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston. All have passed ordinances against hate crimes and intimidation.
But the state of South Carolina’s General Assembly?
No courage.
In the 10 years since a White racist slaughtered a state senator in a church massacre that killed nine and truly shocked the world, state legislators haven’t had the guts to pass a law against hate crimes. For 10 legislative sessions, the Republican-led House and Senate have kicked the can down the road, again and again.
Only two states – South Carolina and Wyoming – do not have a state law against hate crimes and intimidation. Interestingly, Wyoming was the flash point of the eventually successful national demand for a federal hate crimes law after the 1998 torture and murder of student Matthew Shepard over his sexuality.
So far, the state of South Carolina has been incapable of taking the right, just and moral path to combat hate in a state with a long history of violence based on what a person looks like or seems. These days in South Carolina, data show race and religion are key drivers in the increasing number of reported hate crimes – up 77% from 66 reports in 2022 to 115 in 2023, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
In the Palmetto State, top hate reports were related to race, ethnicity or ancestry. But about one in four of reported incidents of hate linked to a specific religion, according to a September 2024 report by WPDE. Other reports involved sexual orientation, gender identity, disabilities and gender biases.
“The FBI data shows assaults, intimidation and vandalism to be the most common offenses, but the list contains many disturbing crimes like arson, criminal sexual contact and kidnapping.”
So with reported incidents of hate on the rise, here’s a blunt challenge: Each county and municipality that hasn’t got a local ordinance against hate crimes and intimidation should pass one immediately. Follow the example of Richland County, which this week became the first county in the state to join at least 19 municipalities.
It looks like Richland County’s leadership has gotten some quick attention. Charleston County Council Chairman Kylon Middleton, one of the best friends of slain Emanuel Nine state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, said he’s on the case. “I’m on top of it,” he told us this week.
In Richland County, council members Tyra Little and Allison Terracio sponsored the new ordinance, according to The State newspaper, in part because some cities had a similar measure and some didn’t.
“Full justice should not be decided upon where you live,” Little said in a story. “Full justice should be afforded to everyone.”
Some may think a misdemeanor ordinance on hate crimes and intimidation is not a big deal, especially since there’s a federal law against hate.
But local measures like the one in Richland County add a level of legal protection against crimes motivated by bias against someone’s race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality or disability. Perhaps even more notable, Richland County’s ordinance covers dissemination of “hate material,” with violations having potential fines of up to $500 per offense, The State reported.
All of these measures send clear messages of what will – and won’t – be tolerated in a civil society.
The 10th anniversary of the racist attack at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston is June 17. Let’s honor the nine people who died with renewed vigor in making South Carolina safer from hate and prejudice through intentional actions by local governments.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
