Asian American woman steps down after backlash against her being chosen to lead Minnesota reparations committee
The city council’s nomination was “total disrespect for the black community.”
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The city council’s nomination was “total disrespect for the black community.”
Minnesotan black community members were furious after finding out that the St. Paul City Council had appointed an Asian-American to serve on the reparations committee, which resulted in the woman's resignation from the pool of applicants.
Jennifer Lor, an Asian-American who serves as a policy aide for council member Nelsie Yang, withdrew her name for consideration for the position of staffing the city's reparations commission following immense backlash from leaders of St. Paul's reparations movement who say that position should be held by a black person, according to Star Tribune.
"It's not about the person. It's 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," Trahern Crews told protesters who assembled in front of St. Paul's City Hall to express disapproval of the nomination.
Tyrone Terrill, President of the African American Leadership Council, said the city council's decision to appoint Lor was "total disrespect for the black community" and "We’re not going to stand for it."
In January, St. Paul City Council announced it would establish a board that would be responsible for advising municipal officials on budgetary issues and reparations policies pertaining to St. Paul's descendants of chattel slavery.
The job description that Lor was nominated for, which was published in June, states that the employee would split their time between administering reparations policy and acting as the council's district liaison. This was perceived as the council's first offense against the black community, and many people thought it demonstrated their lack of cultural awareness, according to the outlet.
Black Lives Matter Twin Cities activist Chauntyll Allen, who serves on the St. Paul school board, joined the protest for the City Council to reconsider the applicant pool. She maintained that the council should consider qualified black individuals, suggesting that the job posting be redone and that African-American applications be actively sought out.
According to the outlet, Lor withdrew her application following the protest.
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