A white North Carolina official has been kicked off a city Zoning Commission after he repeatedly ignored a black woman’s request to be addressed by her doctoral title during a virtual public meeting.
The Greensboro City Council unanimously voted to remove Tony Collins from the commission after his tense exchange with Dr. Carrie Rosario, an associate professor at UNC-Greensboro who holds a doctorate in public health, according to the Charlotte Observer.
At the end of the meeting, Rosario raised an issue about a development near her house, which started a cringeworthy back and forth between the two.
Collins, a white man, called on Rosario and referred to her as ‘Mrs. Rosario.’
‘It’s Dr. Rosario, thank you, sir,’ she said in response.
Collins continued to refer to Rosario as, ‘Mrs. Rosario’ or ‘Carrie’ several more times. Each time, Rosario corrected him.
‘It doesn’t really matter,’ Collins said towards the end of the exchange.
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Tony Collins was removed from his position on the Greensboro zoning commission after refusing to address Dr. Carrie Rosario by her doctoral title during a public meeting
City Councilwoman Sharon Hightower called for the vote to remove Collins from the commission.
‘It was a very disrespectful exchange between an important commissioner and a public citizen,’ Hightower told the Charlotte Observer. ‘That should never happen.’
Hightower said Collins was exercising his ‘white privilege’ by not addressing Dr. Rosario by her proper title.
She added: ‘It is not going to be tolerated. As a black female, I am not going to see another black female treated in this manner.’
Greensboro Councilwoman Goldie Wells, who is black and holds a Ph.D. degree, said highly educated black women are often not afforded the advantages that white women with only high school degrees get, the Greensboro News and Record reported.
Collins’ term was not due to end until 2023.
Earlier in the meeting, Rosario corrected a different zoning commissioner, who immediately apologized and said, ‘I really don’t want to offend you in that regard, so, Dr. Rosario, I do apologize for that,’ according to the Charlotte Observer.
In that instance, it appeared to be an honest mistake that that was quickly corrected, but made the situation with Collins feel like a personal attack, Rosario said.
‘I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt at first and corrected him, but as the exchange unfolded it was clear that he was intent on disrespecting me,’ she told the Charlotte Observer.
‘I was hurt, upset, angry — because this was a public forum — and the public should feel safe to be themselves, to present their concerns, and feel respected in the process.’
The Greensboro exchange is similar to one that happened two weeks ago in the town of Hamden, Connecticut, except in that case it was a white woman who corrected a black man.
Dr. Valerie Horsley, a white town board member and Yale professor, and Justin Farmer, a black councilman, were discussing an ice rink during a virtual meeting with other local officials.
Farmer asked the town’s Director of Finance a question about the financing of it.
Horsely interjected: ‘Point of order, point of order, is there ever an instance where public comment is addressed by a commissioner or someone in the administration? This is a public comment, am I mistaken?’
Farmer replied: ‘That is well taken, councilwoman Horsley.’
She shot back: ‘Dr. Horsley, thank you,’ then mouthed the F-word and shook her head.
Dr. Valerie Horsley (right), a Yale professor and town of Camden, Connecticut councilwoman, demanded fellow councilmember Justin Farmer refer to her as ‘Dr. Horsley’ and mouthed the F-word and shook her head. The community called her a racist and demanded she resign.
The exchange sparked outrage in the community, with some calling Horsley a racist and comparing how she spoke to Farmer to how Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck.
Activists started a petition demanding her resignation, saying: ‘Last night, the town of Hamden watched while white council member Horsley put her knee on Black council member Farmer’s neck for 41s.’
Horsely later apologized to Farmer, who said he accepted her apology and wanted to move on.
But activists continue to demand her resignation.
‘We are asking for a public apology from the town and council, the immediate removal of Yale faculty and council member Horsley and for the town of Hamden to demonstrate their recognition of equity and inclusivity as leaders by publicly declaring racism a public health crisis,’ the Change.org petition says.
They also wrote an open letter to Yale.
Yale has not commented on the row, and the town council has not indicated whether or not to fire her.
