Last month, Los Angeles City Council member Nury Martinez resigned from her position after racist remarks. 

Nury Martinez was the first Latina to be elected as City Council president, so this was a huge disappointment when this audio got leaked.

Although the conversation took place in October 2021, it wasn’t leaked until a year after.

In the audio recording Martinez was having a conversation with council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin De Leon about Mike Bonin and his son. 

Martinez says,” And then there’s this white guy with this little black kid who’s misbehaved”.  

When referring to Bonin and his son at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in January 2021, she continued to speak on how his son was “bouncing off the walls” and out of control on the float. She even added that during Black History Month he brings his son with him and compared him to an “accessory”. 

How can you compare a human being to an accessory? This is so insulting to Bonin and his son. Not only to them but all the people of color who support Martinez. 

“El trae a su negrito, like on the side. Lo trae,” she added, meaning he brings his little black boy on the side. Both Cedillo and Leon were laughing and agreeing with Martinez when she was making these remarks. 

Their actions were unmannerly and disrespectful. If they are talking like this about a council member how do you think they talk about strangers?  

“They’re raising him like a white kid,” Martinez adds.  

Nury Martinez soon resigned, while Cedillo and Leon have apologized since the leaked audio. Political figures like this should be respectful and protecting against racial discrimination. It’s so much more shocking because it’s the government that was participating in this racism. 

This is just another reminder that discrimination still exists, and we also have to remember that people of higher power are contributing to it. We have to take into consideration what kind of representation they are setting out for the community and the younger generation. These are the kind of people who we are looking up to and inspire us, and this is what they say behind the spotlight? 

Racism creates more violence towards a certain community and culture. Not only should we pinpoint a specific member in society, but we should take a look at everyone who holds power in our government.