Nury Martinez Releases Statement Announcing Resignation Following Leaked Audio Calling Fellow Council Member’s Black Son A “Little Monkey”
Written by on October 12, 2022
Bye Felicia. The president of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martinez, resigned 24 hours after a leaked audio recording revealed her and Councilman Kevin de León making racist comments, according to ABC 7. If you recall, an October 2021 conversation became public on Sunday when an anonymous user posted it on Reddit. Nury referred to Councilman Mike Bonin’s Black son in Spanish as a “little monkey.” As well as referring to his misbehavior during a parade by remarking “This kid needs a beatdown.”
Nury resigned from her role this morning, and in a statement, she expressed how she was “truly ashamed.” The statement read,” I take responsibility for what I said, and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry. I sincerely apologize to the people I hurt with my words: to my colleagues, their families, especially to Mike, Sean, and your son.” She continued, “As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal. Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority. I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other Black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal.”
Nury ended the statement by saying, “I ask for forgiveness from my colleagues and from the residents of this city that I love so much. In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. I hope that you will allow me to make amends. Therefore, effective immediately, I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council.”
Many people called for Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo, and Kevin de León to resign, including President Joe Biden. NPR reports that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described their actions as “Unacceptable” and “appalling.” In addition, she said that President Biden believed all three council members should give up their seats.
Roommates, what do you think of this?
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