Leaked audio exposes anti-black councilmembers

Nury Martinez and her fellow councilmembers were caught exchanging anti-black sentiments during a council meeting in October 2021.

By Asher Miles, Staff Writer

Tuesday October 11, 2022. Los Angeles, Calif. (Ava Rosate/Valley Star)

Councilwoman Nury Martinez resigned today after 500 protestors marched in front of City Hall Tuesday chanting “get them out,” demanding the resignation of the councilwoman and her colleagues after they were caught on tape over the weekend making racist remarks.

Audio recordings were posted on Reddit Sunday of Martinez and of her two fellow Latino council members making the derogatory remarks. The tapes reveal Martinez called fellow council member Mike Bonin’s adopted black child “a little monkey” who needs a “beatdown.” Council members Kevin De León and Gil Cadillo were also heard comparing Bonin’s treatment of his 2-year-old to how Martinez carries her Louis Vuitton bag.

“Bonin must think he’s f***** black…They're raising him like a little white kid. This kid needs a beat down, like let me take him out around the corner and I’ll bring him back,” Martinez said, chuckling after detailing how she would “tame” Bonin’s son after alleged misbehavior during a Martin Luther King parade. “El trae su negrito, like on the side,” Martinez said when De Leon brought up the similarities to the black child and Martinez’s Louis Vuitton bag.

In the wake of the published remarks reported by the Los Angeles Times Sunday morning, Martinez stepped down from her role as president, but remained on the board. As of today, she has officially resigned.

After a groundswell calling for her resignation and a message from the White House expressing that President Biden “believes they all should resign,” Martinez committed to a leave of absence Tuesday morning.

Martinez’s communications team, director Sophie Gilchrist and deputy Arianna Miskin, failed to respond to emails from The Valley Star about the leaked recordings..

As anti-blackness persists in the halls of the political councils in Los Angeles, organizers, activists, and protesters alike have demonstrated their fury with government officials.

“This is not the first instance of anti-blackness, particularly from Martinez,” said Jason Reedy, an organizer with the People's City Counsel who was a part of the almost 70-person protest Sunday night in front of Martinez’s Sun Valley residence. “There is a long list of anti-blackness that has been perpetuated from the city council such as the increase to the LAPD budget over the past decade-plus. This is not a singular incident. It is a part of a greater problem that people are beginning to see.”

Protests grew in front of city hall with mariachi bands banging drums and activists vehemently chanting “let us in” after the stalling of the 10 a.m. city hall meeting.

“I felt outraged, disappointment, and extreme anger,” said president of the Weingart Foundation at the protest. “It erodes the trust that people have in political leadership and it discourages people from aspiring to political leadership. I’m hopeful for racial solidarity and I’m praying we can recover and heal from this.”