The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, a group founded as part of the Civil Rights Movement, is asking Gov. Mike Braun to condemn Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s statement that the Three-Fifths Compromise was “a great move.” The 18th century law counted an enslaved person as 60% of a free person.
The agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention counted an enslaved person as three-fifths of a person when measuring states’ populations for taxation and congressional representation. The measure was rendered unconstitutional in 1868 by the 14th Amendment , which granted equal protection and due process to all American citizens.
Beckwith’s statements came after an emotional debate over Senate Bill 289 on April 24. The bill curbs diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, allowing people to sue publicly-funded schools or government entities if they’re required to undergo trainings that use a characteristic like race or sex to blame one group of people for actions in the past…