Democrat Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is facing backlash after she planned a Christmas Party that sought to exclude white government officials.
Wu’s aide issued an apology after she accidentally sent an invite for the mayor’s “no whites” Christmas Party to all embers of the Boston City Council when only people of color were meant to receive the invitation.
Not long after the invite went out, the director of City Council relations, Denise DosSantos, issued an apology.
“I wanted to apologize for my previous email regarding a Holiday Party for tomorrow,” DosSantos wrote.
“I did send that to everyone by accident, and I apologize if my email may have offended or came across as so,” the aide added.
“Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.”
Boston’s City Council ” comprises six minority and seven white members,” the New York Post noted.
The “no whites” Christmas Party sparked angry reactions online
City Councilor Frank Baker called the move “unfortunate and divisive.”
“I don’t really get offended too easily,” Baker told the Boston Herald.
“To offend me, you’re going to have to do much more than not invite me to a party.”
“I find it unfortunate that with the temperature the way it is, that we would further that division,” Baker added.
But Councilor Brian Worrell defended the “no whites” invite.
“We make space and spaces for all kinds of specific groups in the city and city government,” Worrell told the Boston Herald.
“This is no different, and the Elected Officials of Color has been around for more than a decade.”
On Wednesday, Wu was asked if she thought the gathering was divisive, and she replied, “No.”
The mayor said there were other opportunities for all people to celebrate together, but added that the “electeds of color” party was an appropriate way to celebrate ‘identity and culture and heritage’ in her city, the Daily Mail reported.
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“This is a group that has been in place for many, many years,’ said Wu.
“We celebrate all kinds of connection and identity and culture and heritage in the city.”
“Just yesterday we hosted our official City Hall Hanukkah lighting,” she added.
“We have had tree lightings, and we want to be a city where everyone’s identity is embraced, and that there are spaces and communities we can help support.”
Wu said the invitation to white people was ‘an honest mistake’ but refused to accept it was divisive.
“I think we’ve all been in the position at one point where an email went outside, and there was a mistake in the recipients,” she said.
“So there was truly just an honest mistake.”
Wu was elected the city’s first female and Asian American mayor in 2021.
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