‘People Should Be Ashamed’: South Carolina Police Department Forced to Take Down Posts Honoring Black History Month After Racist Backlash
A South Carolina police department has deleted its social media posts honoring Black History Month after a barrage of racist and hateful comments flooded its Facebook page in response.
Amid the backlash, the Goose Creek Police Department released a statement condemning the hostility toward its efforts to recognize Black officers and employees during Black History Month.
The posts were part of a series where the department invited employees of color to share personal video snippets with the community. However, the agency reported that several employees became targets of racist comments.
“Due to the fact our employees have come forward upset about the comments, we have decided to discontinue the Black History Month posts. Our employees do not deserve to be the subject of social media outrage,” the department stated in the post.
The GCPD reaffirmed its commitment to diversity and inclusion, stating that it prioritizes hiring the most qualified candidates while striving to reflect the community it serves.
“Unfortunately, the amount of hatred, racism, and negativity that has been received on these posts is unfathomable,” the department said. “Honestly, people should be ashamed.”
The posts were taken down after police department employees raised concerns about the backlash, with some feeling personally targeted. The department stated it would continue recognizing its diverse workforce internally to shield employees from further public scrutiny.
Despite the controversy, the department reaffirmed its commitment to an inclusive workplace and vowed to serve Goose Creek with professionalism and integrity.
Earlier this month, the North Charleston Police Department also shut down comments on its social media platforms after employees were hit with racist remarks on Black History Month posts.
“Unfortunately, we have seen many racist comments on our Black History Month posts,” North Charleston police said in a post on social media. “These are totally unacceptable.”
The controversy comes amid a nationwide crackdown on DEI initiatives, as federal agencies in Washington and major corporations roll back their commitments after initially supporting diversity programs in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
Soon after taking office in January, President Donald Trump banned all cultural awareness events, while the Defense Intelligence Agency halted all activities related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and other “special observances” in compliance with his executive order to end DEI. All federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles were immediately placed on paid leave by the end of Trump’s third day in office.
Trump’s orders went beyond the federal government, seeking to dismantle DEI initiatives in the business sector and academia — advancing a conservative push to frame diversity programs as discriminatory against white people.
Even law enforcement was being ensnared by the residual effect of Trump’s order, leading private companies to cease what he referred to as “illegal DEI discrimination and preferences.”
Companies that remain committed to DEI have faced an angry wave of callouts from MAGA supporters online, as well as intense political pressure to abandon DEI.
Two weeks ago, 19 state attorneys general sent a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, accusing the company of maintaining policies they claim violate merit-based principles and federal law. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the group gave Costco 30 days to either revoke its DEI policies or explain why they remain in place.
Conservatives see any refusal to align with the Trump administration’s push to scale back such programs as a direct challenge to MAGA values.
The list of companies rolling back diversity programs continues to grow five years after DEI efforts surged alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained traction amid widespread killings of Black men and women, with near-simultaneous shooting cases taking place in Minneapolis, Louisville, and Brunswick, Georgia, sparking months of violent protests across the country.
In conservative circles, DEI has been loudly decried as part of the “woke” agenda, which many Republicans criticize for placing too much emphasis on social justice and identity politics. This connection has fueled growing skepticism about DEI’s role in shaping corporate culture and decision-making.