Indiana Lt. Gov. Slams Democrats on 3/5 Compromise During DEI Debate
Indiana Lt. Gov. Slams Democrats’ ‘Revisionist History’ on Three-Fifths Compromise During DEI Debate
Indiana Lt. Gov. Slams Democrats’ ‘Revisionist History’ on Three-Fifths Compromise During DEI Debate
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith fiercely pushed back against state Senate Democrats after they likened a Republican-led anti-DEI bill to the Three-Fifths Compromise, accusing them of promoting “radical revisionist history.”
Following a heated debate, Beckwith defended Senate Bill 289, which restricts DEI initiatives in public education and government. In a video posted on X, Beckwith said Democrats misrepresented the Three-Fifths Compromise to oppose the bill, which he argued was designed to promote fairness, not discrimination.
“They claimed this bill encourages discrimination like the Three-Fifths Compromise. That’s wrong,”
Beckwith said.
“The Three-Fifths Compromise wasn’t pro-slavery — it was the opposite. It limited the power of slaveholding states.”
Senate Bill 289, which passed both chambers last week and now awaits Republican Gov. Mike Braun’s signature, bans public schools, universities, and agencies from compelling individuals to affirm that any race, sex, or religion is inherently superior or inferior. It also increases transparency by requiring institutions to post DEI-related trainings online and eliminates mandated university diversity committees.
Critics compared the bill to historical injustices, citing slavery, Jim Crow, and redlining. Beckwith, however, emphasized that the Three-Fifths Compromise actually weakened the political influence of slave states.
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, southern states wanted slaves fully counted to boost their representation in Congress, despite treating them as property. Northern states resisted, arguing that if slaves were considered property, then objects like tables and chairs should also count.
The eventual compromise counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person, reducing the South’s congressional power by 40%, Beckwith explained.
“This was a brilliant move by the North to prevent slavery from being further entrenched,” Beckwith said.“Many of our founders recognized the evil of slavery. They fought for a system where equality could grow, but today’s education system doesn’t teach that.”
He blamed DEI programs for fostering what he called a distorted view of American history among students and lawmakers.
“Senate Democrats today don’t understand that history,” Beckwith said. “They wrongly view the Three-Fifths Compromise as an attack on Black Americans, when it actually laid the groundwork for ending slavery and advancing equality.”
Beckwith added that the compromise helped set America on the path toward the Civil War, the 13th and 14th Amendments, and the eventual guarantee of equal protection under the law.
“This wasn’t about diminishing Black lives,” he said. “It was about limiting the influence of slaveholders to push us closer to the ‘more perfect union’ we became.”RELATED: Black lives matter
