Hamilton Grant: It's Time for a Hate Crimes Bill in South Carolina
Hamilton Grant: It's Time for a Hate Crimes Bill in South Carolina
A guest post by Democratic SC House candidate Hamilton Grant
History shows us time and time again that whenever hatred is spewed on any platform, it is almost guaranteed to be followed by a form of violence.
As many of you know, the student chapter of “Uncensored America” will be hosting what they call a roast of our current Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris on the campus of the University of South Carolina. This event will feature the founders of the Proud Boys, a right-wing group known for spewing misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, and transphobic language.
I want to unequivocally denounce such rhetoric and strongly stand in opposition to such disgusting views. The harsh reality, however, is that these views are protected by our nation’s constitution under the First Amendment and the right of assembly. While I so wish that this event could not take place, the facts are that it can. And as my therapist often reminds me, my feelings are not facts.
The controversy that surrounds this upcoming event reminds me so vividly of the triggering effects that my family endured in 2015. By now, many of you know our story of how my wife’s grandfather, Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. was murdered in Charleston at Mother Emanuel AME Church.
We remember the many peaceful demonstrations that took place in the wake of the shooting with messages of love, hope, and unity. We also remember the horrible language echoed across downtown Columbia on the steps of our State Capitol at a Klu Klux Klan rally.
What many of you do not know is the effect that this tragedy has had on our family that has put our safety in jeopardy on several occasions. From death threats to someone actually showing up to our home acting in the name of Dylan Roof as a victim defense advocate, we know all too well the damage hate can cause.
While we are grateful for God’s divine protection and the law enforcement agencies that acted swiftly to keep our family safe, the hard truth is that if a crime were committed against us due to the racist ideology that took Rev. Simmons’ life and 8 others that night, our state would not be able to hold the perpetrators accountable to the full extent because South Carolina is only one of two states in the entire country without hate crime legislation.
I am triggered by the potential effects because we have lived them. God forbid if violence were to break out on the University’s campus and lives were either damaged or taken away; blood would be on the hands of lawmakers because we would not have the tools to allow justice to roll down like water. I have traveled the length and breadth of our country supporting my wife as she advocated for victims of hate crimes which ultimately earned her the prestigious title of Uniter by the Biden Administration during the Summit Against Hate at the White House, only to come back to Columbia to be reminded of how our works can impact everywhere but home.
It is time for this to change!
If the thought of the Proud Boys marching across the Horseshoe into the Russell house disturbs you to your core as it does with me, here are 3 things we can do about it:
Log on to www.scstatehous.gov to find your State Representative and State Senator and demand that they pass Hate Crime Legislation during the 2025 General Assembly Session
Encourage companies and industries that have chosen to invest in our state to speak up and speak out and demand that our legislature passes Hate Crime Legislation
Pay attention to those lawmakers (particularly in the Senate) who have consistently blocked these bills from becoming law. These are the people who should not return to the people’s house come November. Find candidates who support hate crime legislation.
No South Carolinian should live in fear because of who they love, the color of their skin, how they choose to identify, and what God they worship if they even worship a God at all. We should all be protected from the ill-intended dangers that still lurk in our communities rooted in the mindset of the old Jim Crow South. It’s time that we do right by families like mine who have to alter their everyday movements, taking extra precautions to be safe merely for the color of our skin. It’s time to put our frustrations into policy and send a strong message that here in South Carolina, Hate Won’t Win!
Hamilton Grant is the Democratic candidate for SC House District 79. To learn more, visit grantforsc.com.