Charleston just dismantled the Human Affairs and Racial Conciliation (HARC) Commission, one of the few public bodies focused on addressing systemic inequality in the city.

This commission was created in the wake of Charleston’s 2018 apology for its role in slavery and the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME Church. Its work included pushing for hate crime legislation, supporting affordable housing efforts, and ensuring that descendant communities have a say in what happens to historic burial grounds. It was slow, deliberate, and rooted in listening to the people most affected.

Now it is gone.

City leaders say they disbanded the commission to avoid losing $175 million in federal funding after the Trump administration stripped diversity, equity, and inclusion from national policy. But that pressure should never override local responsibility to racial justice and community accountability.

We cannot afford to erase the progress Charleston was beginning to make. The people who served on this commission, and the communities they supported, deserve more than silence.

We are calling on the Charleston City Council and Mayor William Cogswell to:

• Publicly commit to continuing the work of the HARC Commission
• Create a new independent community accountability body focused on racial equity, housing justice, and public inclusion
• Protect the legacy of racial reconciliation work already started in Charleston and ensure it is not forgotten

As one former member said, “We were just getting started.” Now we must keep going.

Disbanding racial justice efforts under political pressure is not neutral. It is a step backward. Charleston has a choice to make. Will we repeat history or confront it?

Sign this petition to demand that Charleston recommit to racial justice and restore community-led accountability now.