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Sen. Tim Scott Offers GOP Colleagues a Glimpse of the Racism He Faces

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is offering a glimpse of his own battles with racism, both past and present. During a closed-door Senate Republican lunch on Tuesday, Scott shared that he has received hateful and profane…

Meaghan EllisJun 24, 20203 min read

See Scott’s remarks below:

Scott’s remarks come as the Senate prepares to vote on the police reform bill he is leading.

On June 17, Scott also appeared on Trevor Noah’s “The Daily Social Distancing Show” where the host addressed concerns about Senate Republicans using him as the “token Black guy.”

Noah noted that many people are skeptical about the substantiality of the Republican-backed police reform bill as they believe Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is being used to gain the trust of protesters fighting for reform by “saving face.”

Scott was asked how he conveys law and order to his colleagues when those who are responsible for upholding the law are, in fact, the people breaking the law, as Noah said.

Scott also shed light on his role in bridging the gap, saying, “This is something we’ve been working on forever, it feels like. I did a Driving While Black event when I was on county counsel 20 plus years ago.”

“And to think of the number of people who have had to have their car surrounded because they were simply going to see their grandparents like I was. We should be thankful that we’re having this conversation and making some progress in the right direction on an issue that has plagued the African American community in the same fashion that the COVID-19 is plaguing the world.”

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the Republican-led police reform bill Wednesday. However, Senate Democrats are expected to block the bill.