By Mike Cason
The new chair of the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus said the group will fight the efforts by the Trump administration and others to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The caucus announced Tuesday that it has elected Rep. Napoleon Bracy Jr., D-Saraland, as the new chair.
“We reject the so-called ‘colorblind’ ideology pushed by the MAGA movement, which seeks to erase the progress made through DEI initiatives,” Bracy said in a press release. “Ignoring racial inequality does not eliminate it—true equality comes from acknowledging and addressing historical and systemic disparities.”
Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, is the new vice chair.
Coleman said the caucus is committed to supporting DEI programs and preserving the teaching for Black American history in public schools.
“We cannot allow our history to be rewritten or erased,” Coleman said. “Understanding our past—including its injustices—is essential to building a more just and equitable future. The ALBC will continue to fight for the truth, ensuring that future generations learn from history rather than repeating its mistakes.”
The caucus holds leadership elections every other year. Coleman has been chair and Bracy has been vice chair the last two years.
The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus, which includes most of the Democrats in the Alabama House and Senate, has battled efforts to eliminate DEI since before the Trump presidency.
The Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill last year to ban DEI programs in public colleges and state agencies and to restrict the teaching of so-called “divisive concepts” on race and other topics.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill, SB129, into law.
“My Administration has and will continue to value Alabama’s rich diversity, however, I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or wherever else for that matter – to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe,” Ivey said in a statement when she signed the bill.
Alabama professors and college students have challenged the bill in a federal lawsuit, saying it violates the Constitution because it prevents them from learning, teaching, and engaging in classes and programs on diverse viewpoints and topics.
