Merry Christmas, Only for Electeds of Color?
Imagine the embarrassment and the outrage? From the WSJ’s Notable & Quotable:
An admiration official of Mayor Wu’s office mistakenly sent an invitation to all Boston city councilors in an email Tuesday, Each council member, regardless of color, was requested to attend a holiday party. But hold on, the invites were meant exclusively for “electeds of color.”
“On behalf of Mayor Michelle Wu,” began the invite, each of them was cordially invited as “a guest to the Eleteds of Color Holiday Party on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Parkman House, 33 Beacon St.” . . .”
Denise DosSantos, the mayor’s director of City Council relations, sent out a follow-up email to city councilors, apologizing for the prior email, which was apparently only meant for those who were invited. The body includes seven white councilors and six of color.
“I wanted to apologize for my previous email regarding a Holiday Party for tomorrow,” DosSantos, a Cape Verdean Black woman, wrote. “I did send that to everyoneby accident, and I apologize if my email may have offended or came across as so. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.”
Gayle Cawley reported on the cringe-worthy invite in the Boston Herald.
According to Michael McCormack, an attorney who served five terms on the City Council:
“The problem is that Boston and race, unfortunately, are synonymous. I’m just hoping it was a mistake. It’s not something that anyone in the mayor’s office should be proud of.”
