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Boston’s Democratic mayor has apologized for causing offense with a holiday party invitation that excluded White people.
Michelle Wu drew criticism Wednesday after her aide sent a holiday party invite to all members of the Boston City Council for an “Electeds of Color Holiday Party,” even though seven of the officials are White.
Wu told reporters on Wednesday that the invite was not meant to be sent to White council members, who had their invitations rescinded about 15 minutes after the original email was sent.
“We had individual conversations with everyone so people understand that it was truly just an honest mistake that went out in typing the email field,” Wu told reporters.
BOSTON MAYOR SENDS HOLIDAY PARTY INVITE MEANT ONLY FOR ‘ELECTS OF COLOR,’ DIVIDING CITY COUNCILORS
Mayor Michelle Wu gets emotional during a dedication of a new fire hose to the Boston Fire Department in memory of Michael Kennedy, who died while battling a massive Back Bay fire. February 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
“I think we’ve all been in a position at one point where an email went out, and there was a mistake in the recipient,” she said, according to WCVB Boston.
“It is my intention that we can, again, be a city that lives our values and create space for all kinds of communities to come together,” she added.
According to the local outlet, the minority-only party continued as planned on Wednseday, while Wu’s office has plans to host a separate event for all elected officials and members of her cabinet on a different day.
The city’s first Asian-American mayor defended the event, saying, “I’ve been a part of a group that gathers, representing elected officials of color across all different levels of government in Massachusetts. A group that has been in place for more than a decade, and the opportunity to create a space for people to celebrate and rotate who hosts.”
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The Office of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sent out a a holiday party invitation meant only for minority city councilors. (Twiiter/Screenshot/Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Wu’s aide Denise DosSantos, who sent out the invite, tried to smooth things over in a follow-up email prior to the party.
“I wanted to apologize for my previous email regarding a Holiday Party for tomorrow,” DosSantos wrote to city council members. “I did send that to everyone by accident, and I apologize if my email may have offended or came across as so. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.”
The exclusionary invite was criticized Wednesday, by one White member of the city council as “unfortunate and divisive,” according to the Boston Herald.
However, Black City Councilor Brian Worrell held a different opinion and defended the invitation, suggesting the holiday party was merely a way to represent “all kinds of special groups” in the Boston government.
Mayor Wu’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
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