Detroiter Avi Rachlin is doubling down on his use of a racial slur targeting Black people while testifying at a Michigan Senate Committee hearing Thursday about legislation that would permanently ban firearms from the state Capitol and legislators' offices.
Rachlin argues it would unfairly impact White people instead of the people responsible for the gun violence, such as in places like Detroit.
During his remarks, he said, “Thirteen-34-year-old Sub Saharan African n-word, those are the people.”
He admitted Friday (Nov. 15) in an interview with Local 4 that his goal was to draw attention to his testimony.
“I think that anybody who wants to push a policy of any sort wants to bring attention to the issue, and that’s what I sought to do here. And clearly, it worked,” Rachlin said.
After using the racial slur, he was quickly admonished by Democrats and Republicans on the committee.
Democratic Sen. Stephanie Chang from Detroit chairs the Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.
She immediately ended Rachlin’s remarks with her gavel.
“I unfortunately think that this kind of rhetoric is going to be more and more prevalent going into the next year, but we have to call out hate wherever we see it,” Chang said.
I asked Rachlin if he could have gotten his message across without using a racial slur.
He responded, “No.”
The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus released a statement regarding Rachlin’s testimony.
“Racial slurs and epithets have no place in civil society, especially in a public hearing. An individual who was testifying during the Senate Standing Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety hurled the N-word during his remarks — an action that must be condemned. Conversely, the Committee Chair’s handling of the situation and swift rebuke by other committee members are to be commended," said MLBC Chairperson Sen. Erika Geiss, a Democrat who represents Taylor.
Detroit Branch NAACP President Rev Dr. Wendell Anthony applauds how the committee handled the incident.
“They were talking about policy banning guns that kill people. They were talking about implementing strategies that will build up life. This guy was talking about something that diminishes life,” he said.
Anthony believes now is the time to focus on unity.
“Rather than focus in on the n-word, I think that we need to focus in on a u-word, unity, a word that brings people together, a word that says that we cannot continue to go down this road. Otherwise, there’s going to be something that none of us really want to encounter,” he warned.
Senate bills 857 and 858, which prompted Rachlin’s remarks, were voted out of committee and are now headed to the Senate floor for consideration.