Former state Sen. Ernie Chambers got in the last word on the issue of race and racism during a legislative hearing Monday.

The Education Committee was considering a bill (LB440) that would eliminate the words "race, ethnicity and cultural diversity" from state law in regard to a scholarship program he helped create.

The bill proposes making what began as a "minority" scholarship program years ago a broader "diversity" program to comply with the new constitutional amendment passed last spring.

The amendment prohibits state and local governments from giving preferential treatment to people on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity or national origin.

Two supporters of the constitutional amendment said they feared the scholarships would still be awarded based on skin color.

If the Legislature were serious about ending the race-based scholarship program, it would send the funds to the general scholarship fund and give it to students of all backgrounds, said Marc Schniederjans, treasurer for the group who supported the amendment.

The word "diversity" is a code word for race and ethnicity, he said.

But Chambers pointed to the "dodge of racists" who call "something a civil rights initiative when the purpose is to destroy civil rights." Chambers was referring to the name used to sell the amendment - the Civil Rights Initiative.

The scholarship program is small, spending about $150,000 a year to benefit some students who don't have the opportunity to be on a level playing field, said Chambers.

He spoke in a neutral position on the bill, thus ensuring he would be the last speaker - speaking after any opponents.

"If I testified in favor of the bill (first up) I could not follow them and counteract the poison they spew," he said.

And in Chambers' style, the former senator continued beyond the narrow focus of the bill, recounting recent problems created by white men.

"Who destroyed the financial system worldwide? … White men.

"Who brought down the banking system? … White men.

"Who were the mortgage lenders, who are those who create and benefit from derivatives? … White men," he said.

"They have destroyed everything they touched."

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com.