Boston City Hall mistakenly sends out ‘electeds of color’ party invitations to entire council

A Boston City Hall official accidentally sent out invitations to an exclusive race-based holiday party, intended only for “electeds of color,” to the entire City Council on Tuesday,

Denise DosSantos, Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s director of City Council relations, intended to invite the six councilors of color and a guest each to an event hosted by the mayor on Wednesday. But the email went councilwide, prompting an apology for the error in a follow-up email 15 minutes later. The City Council consists of six councilors of color and seven white councilors.

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“I wanted to apologize for my previous email regarding a Holiday Party for tomorrow,” DosSantos wrote, according to the Boston Herald. “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.”

(Michael Dwyer/AP)

Councilor Frank Baker, who is white, called the email “divisive” and “unfortunate.” He said he was not offended by being excluded but did not consider the invitation a “good move” given recent tension among the City Council.

“I don’t really get offended too easily. To offend me, you’re going to have to do much more than not invite me to a party,” Baker said. “I find it unfortunate that with the temperature the way it is, that we would further that division.”

Elected officials of color defended the event, however, claiming the “Elected Officials of Color” group had been around for more than a decade and that the City Council makes “spaces” for all kinds of groups.

“Your email should not offend anyone, and there is absolutely no confusion,” Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, a black woman, told DosSantos in an email also shared with her colleagues. “Just like there are groups that meet based on shared interests or cultural backgrounds, it’s completely natural for elected officials of color to gather for a holiday celebration. Many groups celebrate and come together in various ways, and it’s not about excluding anyone. Instead, it’s about creating spaces for like-minded individuals to connect and support each other.”

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The city mayor’s office said the event was just one of many holiday parties happening this month and that the holiday party is a tradition, but the host and location change every year. Wu, an Asian American woman, was asked to host the celebration this year.

The Washington Examiner reached out to the Boston City Hall for comment.