Tommy Bryant.Photo: Tarrant city council/ Facebook
Days after using a racist slur in reference to a Black female colleague, a city council member in Alabama told news outlets he won’t apologize or resign, even saying he mightrun for mayor.
“The n-word. The n-word. Let’s get to the n-word. Hey. Do we have a house n***** in here? Do we? Hey. Would she please stand up?” Bryant can be heard saying on the video, while he gestures to fellow city council member Veronica Freeman, who is Black. “That’s what the mayor called her.”
The Associated Press reported that some members of the audiencegasped at his useof the slur, and that Freeman left in tears.
“It is OK for me to repeat it because as I said before, I wanted everybody to know what the mayor had said,” he said. “He said it in a derogatory manner, I said it so that people would know what the mayor said.”
In a statement sent to PEOPLE, Newton disputed Bryant’s claim. “I did not call Councilor Freeman what Councilor Bryant is alleging,” the statement read. “It’s very unfortunate that Councilor Freeman and Councilor Bryant have created this distraction for our City to serve their personal interests.”
Alabama Democrats executive director Wade Perry said Bryant is “racist and unfit to serve,” and joins other racists as “embarrassments to Alabama and the Republican party.”
“All Alabamians should be calling on Republican political leaders like Governor Kay Ivey and US Senate Candidate Katie Britt to demand the immediate resignation of these overt racists,” Perry said. “Alabama still has a long way to go when it comes to race, but cozying up to the KKK and using the n-word should make you unfit to serve. These racists belong in the history books with Bull Connor and George Wallace, not on the taxpayer’s payroll.”
“Such language is completely unacceptable in any setting, and even more concerning coming from an elected official,” Wahl said. “We are proud to have Mayor Wayman Newton as a member of the Jefferson County Republican Party, and we stand behind him 100%.”
Through an attorney, Freeman released her own statement on the slur, CBS 42 reported: “The statements constitute unconscionable racial discrimination and harassment. Such statements are also deeply hurtful and absolutely unacceptable in our society.”
Bryant, meanwhile, isn’t backing down from using the word and, when asked if he planned to apologize, told reporters: “Absolutely not. I may even consider running for mayor next time.”
source: people.com
