-Caveat Lector-
NAACP head criticizes Williams over word flap
Thursday, January 28, 1999 – The Associated Press reports NAACP President
Julian Bond says D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams acted “niggardly” when he
accepted the resignation of the first openly gay member of his administration,
caught in a furor for using the word himself.
David Howard, the head of the city’s Office of the Public Advocate,
resigned Tuesday after rumors persisted that he had used a racial slur when
discussing the administration of his part of the city’s budget.
Howard was just weeks into his job as public advocate, the key contact for
citizens and their government.
In a meeting with two other aides to the mayor, Marshall Brown and John
Fanning, Howard allegedly said “I will have to be niggardly with this fund
because it’s not going to be a lot of money.”
Both aides were said to be shocked by the remark and Brown, who is
African-American, left the meeting and later refused to accept an apology from
Howard.
The word “niggardly,” means cheap or miserly and has no racial
connotation. Bond cited the definition in his criticism of the mayor and said
the incident speaks loudly about where we are on race issues.
In accepting his resignation, Mayor Williams said Howard had used poor
judgement.
Williams also praised Howard – who has no background of discrimination –
and said he might be rehired after an investigation is complete. But the mayor
stuck by his position that the resignation was appropriate, saying Howard’s
action was comparable to being “caught smoking in a refinery that resulted in
an explosion.”
Williams said someone else might be fired if it is found that they were
“fanning the flames” by spreading the rumor that Howard had used a racial
epithet.
The Washington Post reports that Howard says the mayor is “unduly taking
heat” for accepting his resignation.
“It was my decision to resign and any criticism should be voiced to me,”
he told The Post.
Mayor Williams is being criticized by a group of gay and lesbian activists
who say the situation amounts to the “railroading of a good man.”
Howard is the first openly gay member to serve in Williams’ government.
=================================
Robert F. Tatman
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