USC and ABC7 criticized for exclusion of all candidates of color in upcoming gubernatorial debate

"My father used to tell me of the days when he would encounter signs posted outside establishments that read 'No Dogs, Negroes or Mexicans Allowed.' USC's actions may not seem so transparent. But, you have deliberately chosen to selectively filter the voters' view of the field of gubernatorial candidates in what all observers characterize as a wide-open race."

"At the request of the Center for the Political Future, Dr. Christian Grose, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, independently established the methodology that determined eligibility for the debate. No one in the USC administration had any role in developing, reviewing or approving those criteria."

Xavier Becerra and other candidates of color were excluded from a March 24 televised gubernatorial debate hosted by USC and ABC affiliate KABC-TV. Becerra criticized the exclusion as unfair and compared it to historical discrimination, stating the criteria appeared designed to filter voters' view of the candidate field in a wide-open race. USC claimed an independent political science professor established the debate eligibility methodology without administration involvement. The debate will feature six candidates but exclude every Democratic candidate of color. The Center for the Political Future reiterated that the criteria remained unchanged since the forum's initial planning.

Read at Los Angeles Times