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Portsmouth, VA (WTKR) — City Councilman Bill Moody tweeted he’s “really tired of hearing the term people of color” on Wednesday night.
Moody continued by referencing civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., referring to him as “Martin King,” and his famous speech where King hoped his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Moody added, “Apparently the ‘Squad’ doesn’t agree,” in reference to the four progressive members of Congress who have become targets of President Trump.
As of Thursday morning, Moody’s tweet has received more than 450 replies – many of them negative.
The tweet follows comments by Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, who told Vice News, “You know, they talk about people of color. I’m a person of color. I’m white. I’m an Anglo Saxon. People say things all the time, but I don’t get offended.”
A guest on Fox News on Wednesday night said the term “people of color” gives people “special virtue” and should be “retired.”
Moody has not returned a phone call or text message seeking further comment on his tweet.
Previously, he’s faced criticism for his social media posts. In 2016, he apologized after calling protesters “thugs” in a tweet.
His city council colleague, Lisa Lucas-Burke, said she was not aware of his tweet on Thursday morning. When a reporter explained what it said, she said she was “baffled” and called it “disheartening.”
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