White NC House member poses racist question to black lawmaker

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RALEIGH

A white North Carolina House lawmaker interrupted his black colleague on Wednesday to ask if he could have done well in school if he hadn’t been an athlete or a minority.

Rep. Jeff McNeely, a Republican from Stony Point and a member of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus chambers, made the remarks during a floor debate Wednesday on a controversial education bill. Lawmakers were squabbling over a bill that would expand eligibility requirements for North Carolina scholarships. As Rep. Abe Jones, a Democratic lawmaker from Raleigh, debated the bill, McNeely interrupted him with a question.

I understand you went to public schools and you went to Harvard and Harvard Law, McNeely told Jones, who is black. And the question, I guess, is whether you might have been able to achieve that if you weren’t an athlete or a minority or one of those things, but you were a student trapped in a school the slowest you know, in the wild well, the slowest gazelle doesn’t survive, but yet the herd moves at that rate. Thus, the brightest child is sometimes retained in order

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Before McNeely could finish his comment, House Democratic Leader Robert Reives intervened, calling for a point of order.

I hope I wasn’t the only one who was offended by that comment, Reives said. The only reason you went to Harvard was because you were black and an athlete?

I didn’t say that, McNeely replied. I said, did that end up being one of the reasons? I don’t know that. I asked him this.

During a floor debate Wednesday on the expansion of private school vouchers, GOP Rep. Jeff McNeely interrupted Democratic Rep. Abe Jones to ask if he would have been able to pass his education if he hadn’t been an athlete or a minority.

Before the conversation could continue, House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican from Kings Mountain, banged his gavel to cut McNeely off and return Jones to speak.

I apologize and abstain, McNeely said before deferring.

After saying he didn’t know the answer to McNeely’s question, Jones said he would just add one thing.

Harvard gave five rankings to its students, he said. One two three four five. When I graduated from Harvard, I was number two. So I won my place, and I did well.

The Democrats on the floor broke into a standing ovation. Applause isn’t usually allowed during House debates, but Moore allowed the outburst to go on unchecked.

Before the session ended, McNeely apologized. He said his comments came out differently than he expected and that he would personally apologize to Jones after the chamber adjourned.

I also want to say directly to Rep. McNeely, I accept his apology, Jones said. I never had a crossword puzzle with him. I guess he meant me no harm. He was brave enough to publicly apologize to me, and I’m brave enough to accept it.

This story was originally published on May 17, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.

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