South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took on the delicate topic of race relations Wednesday during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where she chided the “Black Lives Matter” movement for being too vocal and said the Republican party often appears “cold and unwelcoming” to minorities.
“This is not just a black and white thing,” she said. “For Indian and Asian-Americans, for Jewish-Americans, for Mexican-Americans, our party and our principles have so much to offer. It’s on us to communicate our positions in ways that wipe away the clutter of prejudices. For African-Americans in particular, whether it’s more jobs, better focused educational resources, police body cameras, and the like, Republicans have a great deal to offer. But we have to change our approach.”
On the topic of Black Lives Matter, the Republican governor said the protest movement detracts from its own cause because activists within the movement “yell and scream” too much. “Often the best thing we can do is turn down the volume and listen,” she told reporters.
Haley has emerged as a rising star within the GOP ever since she led a successful effort to remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds in South Carolina following the shooting deaths of nine African American worshipers inside a Charleston Church. Her name has been mentioned by some as a possible vice presidential candidate in 2016. During her speech on Wednesday, Haley downplayed such speculation.
Here is the complete text of Haley’s speech.
