*South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has basically suggested that the #BlackLivesMatter movement take it down a notch, and respond to injustice more like the African Americans in her state following the racially-motivated Charleston church massacre.
In a broad address about race relations, Haley on Wednesday conceded that “black lives do matter,” but accused the movement of using a counterproductive “yell and scream” strategy to accomplish its goals.
The Republican governor also called on her party to fix its disconnect with minorities — the GOP’s current approach is “shameful,” she said.
Speaking in Washington at the National Press Club, an appearance that could be interpreted as an audition for vice president, according to the Washington Post, Haley directly took on the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew out of the debate over recent police killings of unarmed African Americans.
Per the Washington Post:
[Gov. Haley] noted that many of the small businesses and social service institutions that were looted or destroyed by protesters in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore and New York were owned by black people or served black populations.
“Black lives do matter and they have been disgracefully jeopardized by the movement that’s laid waste to Ferguson and Baltimore,” Haley said.
“Some people think you need to yell and scream to make a difference,” she added. “Often the best thing we can do is turn down the volume and listen.”
Haley described the Rev. Al Sharpton protesting outside the governor’s office over the Confederate flag. She said she later told him, “If you would have come inside and held out your hand, I would’ve hugged you.”
Haley compared the scenes in Ferguson and Baltimore with the way the Charleston community came together following the shooting at a historically African American church that killed nine people, including a state senator. “We didn’t have riots, we had vigils,” she said. “We didn’t have violence, we had hugs.”
Listening and hugging is how Haley suggested divided communities can heal. She also offered this as a lesson to Republican leaders, whom she said must tone down their language about minorities.
“The problem for our party is that our approach often appears cold and unwelcoming to minorities,” Haley said. “That’s shameful and it has to change.”
Read the entire article here.
Watch Gov. Haley’s entire speech below:
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