Racially-charged trouble brewing on the Waterloo City Council [View all]

A white member of the Waterloo City Council did not like the fact that the black mayor hired a part-time communications director without council approval. This council member emailed the mayor, saying, "“Not appropriate without council approval. You work for us. Obama (yesterday) is gone.” However, the City Attorney and City Clerk say the mayor did follow the proper process and had authority to hire a part-time position without seeking council approval.

Then the lone black City Council member came forward with a number of racially charged, insensitive remarks that the objecting council member and another white member of the council made.

If you read the second article, you'll see some classic examples of minimizing and downplaying racism. Hell, I'm white and clearly speaking from a position of privilege, and I can see it plain as day.

It is a lot of fuss to make over a part time position, but the council members who have made the racist remarks need to learn to filter their racism out to do the city's business, not all this bullshit "oh we didn't mean it that way, the black mayor and council member are being overly sensitive".

Quentin Hart was elected after a runoff election last year as Waterloo's first black mayor. Blacks have been a vital part of Waterloo since 1910, and account for 15.5 percent of the city's population.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/hart-lind-trade-heated-emails/article_9bfe3b71-1ce6-559b-910e-6e3e0df62c13.html

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/waterloo-councilman-jerome-amos-accuses-colleagues-of-inappropriate-comments/article_8bf2af21-7754-59e3-a296-7d1124bec636.html