via NYPOST:
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu proudly shared a photo of the controversial “electeds of color” holiday party she hosted on Wednesday, showcasing all the smiling government officials of minority backgrounds at the “no whites” gathering.
“Last night was my turn to host the annual holiday dinner for Boston’s elected officials of color—a special moment to appreciate that our affinity group now includes leadership across city, state, county, and federal offices,” Wu wrote in a caption alongside the photo on Instagram.
Wu, 38, came under fire earlier this week when her director of City Council Relations Denise DosSantos emailed the party’s exclusive invitation to all members of the City Council instead of only the “electeds of color.”
Boston’s City Council is comprised of six minority and seven white members, who were not the intended targets of the email.
The aide realized her mistake approximately fifteen minutes after the message and sent a follow-up email to the white council members who received the invitation by mistake.
Boston City Hall roiled by email party invitation for ‘electeds of color’ sent to all.
A Wu administration official, on behalf of the mayor, mistakenly sent all Boston city councilors an email Tuesday inviting them to a holiday party that was meant exclusively for “electeds of color,” prompting an apology and mixed reactions.
Denise DosSantos, the mayor’s director of City Council relations, told the body’s “honorable members” that, “on behalf of Mayor Michelle Wu,” she was cordially inviting each of them “and a guest to the Electeds of Color Holiday Party on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Parkman House, 33 Beacon St.”
Approximately 15 minutes later, however, DosSantos 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 everyone by accident, and I apologize if my email may have offended or came across as so. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.”
Translation: I’m not sorry I’m a racialist; I’m only sorry that I was caught.
UPDATE: Boston Mayor’s ‘Electeds of Color’ Event Sparks Backlash After Email Error. “In March, five restaurant owners in Boston sued Wu claiming they had been discriminated against because of their white Italian ethnicity. Court documents said Wu made a joke in a St Patrick’s Day speech in which she said: ‘I’m getting used to dealing with problems that are expensive, disruptive and white.’”
Court documents? Let’s play the tape!
FLASHBACK: Mayor of Boston @MayorWu at a St Patrick’s Day Breakfast: "I'm getting used to dealing with problems that are expensive, disruptive and white" pic.twitter.com/6CSApprDOg
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 15, 2023
h/t Ed Driscoll