Kenyan 419
2023-08-29 22:00:05 UTC
A St. Paul city official has withdrawn her name for consideration as the
person to staff the citys new reparations commission.
She removed her name after Black leaders in the Minnesota capital pushed
back, asserting that the role should be filled by a Black person.
Jennifer Lor, who currently serves as a policy aide for Council member
Nelsie Yang, is Asian-American.
A group of leaders from the Black community assembled in front of Saint
Pauls City Hall to express their disapproval of the City Councils choice
to appoint a policy aide who is not of African-American descent to serve
on the reparations commission.
The protesters were clear that this was not a personal attack against Lor
but an important marker for the Black community.
Its not about the person. Its just that we need somebody who has the
lived experience, knowledge of reparations, knowledge of the racial wealth
gap and how it impacts the descendants of slavery who reside in St. Paul,
said Trahern Crews, one of the leaders of St. Pauls reparations movement.
President of the African American Leadership Council Tyrone Terrill said
he considered the decision to hire Lor as total disrespect for the Black
community.
Were not going to stand for it, he declared at the protest.
Chauntyll Allen, leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and a member of
the St. Paul school board, joined the cry to have the City Council
reevaluate the applicant pool. She emphasized that the council should
consider capable Black candidates, proposing a reposting of the job
listing and active recruitment of African-American applicants.
The job listing, posted in June, indicated that the person hired would
divide their time between handling reparations policy and serving as the
councils district liaison. This was seen as the initial slight to the
community, which many believed represented the tone deafness of the
council.
That in and of itself is a problem the fact that we cant be allotted a
full-time position to work on something thats so much work, so deeply
rooted and so historical, Allen said. Were talking 400 years of
oppression that needs to be addressed.
Following a yearlong study, the council decided in January it would
establish a lasting advisory board. This board would be tasked with
advising city officials on reparations policies and budget matters
concerning descendants of chattel slavery in the city of St. Paul.
The initial 11 members of the commission were selected in late June. Lor,
had she stayed in the running, would have been considered to staff this
collective.
https://news.yahoo.com/total-disrespect-asian-american-woman-
193000059.html
person to staff the citys new reparations commission.
She removed her name after Black leaders in the Minnesota capital pushed
back, asserting that the role should be filled by a Black person.
Jennifer Lor, who currently serves as a policy aide for Council member
Nelsie Yang, is Asian-American.
A group of leaders from the Black community assembled in front of Saint
Pauls City Hall to express their disapproval of the City Councils choice
to appoint a policy aide who is not of African-American descent to serve
on the reparations commission.
The protesters were clear that this was not a personal attack against Lor
but an important marker for the Black community.
Its not about the person. Its just that we need somebody who has the
lived experience, knowledge of reparations, knowledge of the racial wealth
gap and how it impacts the descendants of slavery who reside in St. Paul,
said Trahern Crews, one of the leaders of St. Pauls reparations movement.
President of the African American Leadership Council Tyrone Terrill said
he considered the decision to hire Lor as total disrespect for the Black
community.
Were not going to stand for it, he declared at the protest.
Chauntyll Allen, leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and a member of
the St. Paul school board, joined the cry to have the City Council
reevaluate the applicant pool. She emphasized that the council should
consider capable Black candidates, proposing a reposting of the job
listing and active recruitment of African-American applicants.
The job listing, posted in June, indicated that the person hired would
divide their time between handling reparations policy and serving as the
councils district liaison. This was seen as the initial slight to the
community, which many believed represented the tone deafness of the
council.
That in and of itself is a problem the fact that we cant be allotted a
full-time position to work on something thats so much work, so deeply
rooted and so historical, Allen said. Were talking 400 years of
oppression that needs to be addressed.
Following a yearlong study, the council decided in January it would
establish a lasting advisory board. This board would be tasked with
advising city officials on reparations policies and budget matters
concerning descendants of chattel slavery in the city of St. Paul.
The initial 11 members of the commission were selected in late June. Lor,
had she stayed in the running, would have been considered to staff this
collective.
https://news.yahoo.com/total-disrespect-asian-american-woman-
193000059.html