- latinocwc
Greeley City Council Person Zasada asked to step down for racist comments
Updated: Jun 10, 2020
Greeley, Colorado: Several area residents have reached out to LCWC to express their concern over a post authored and commented on by City Council Person Kristin Zasada on her personal Facebook page. Zasada’s post brought comment and discussion from those persons privy to her personal page, which included several of her constituents. Zasada’s commentary on the original post was tone-deaf to the current realities facing people of color in our Nation.
Four days later, after repeated community outcry, Zasada finally addressed her comments via a statement posted on City Council’s website, stating, in part, “My quoting of these facts, while clearly ill-timed and perhaps insensitive, was meant in the spirit of sharing factual information and was never meant to point fingers or condemn any person, race, or community.”
Zasada’s Facebook commentary displays her lack of empathy for our black brother and sisters and her long-overdue statement on the issue fails to take responsibility for her dismissive and racist comments, demonstrates a disregard of the continued oppression facing people of color, and evidences a lack of acknowledgement by her that systematic racism exists and police brutality occurs at a disproportionate rate against people of color.
Zasada has taken an Oath of Office as a City Council Person to support the laws of this Nation, the State of Colorado, and the City of Greeley. Zasada holds a seat on City Council as an at-large representative, meaning that her constituents are comprised of the entire Greeley community.
However, Zasada’s personal statements make clear that she had heard, but not actually listened to, the deafening roar of inequity, prejudice and discrimination that has been vocalized by many of her constituents. Her failure to acknowledge the systemic racism that exists in our Nation and her inability to really listen, to be willing to learn, and to work towards leveling these inequities renders her unfit to serve on City Council. It is our opinion that City Council Person Zasada should resign.