Laughter over lawmaker’s accent while talking about racism disrupts Maryland meeting

Nancy Navarro, the sole female and first-ever Latina member of the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, was talking about racial disparities in the D.C.-area county’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out when laughter disrupted the Zoom meeting.

Two people on the call who seemingly thought they were muted were heard joking about Navarro’s accent as she talked about how the county was failing non-white residents when it came to distributing the vaccines, CBS News reported.

“I love how her accent comes out and pronounces words like she thinks they’re pronounced,” one person said, focusing on the way Navarro pronounced certain words, including “hologram.”

“I heard ‘hologram,’ and I was like, ‘That’s kind of interesting,’” another person responded.

“So cute,” the first person said, giggling.

CBS News reported both people were employees of Montgomery Community Media, which runs the Zoom meetings for the body.

Later in the video, a person can be heard contacting the individual who made the initial comments, informing them that they had a hot mic and their comments could be heard in the meeting.

After breaking for lunch, Navarro’s staff played her the Zoom footage of the two appearing to mock her accent, The Washington Post reported.

“It’s so disheartening to know this continues to be an issue,” Navarro told WUSA9.

Navarro, who originally came from Venezuela and learned to speak English at the age of 10, went on to tell the TV station that the incident was a prime example of “everyday microaggressions” that people of different races and ethnicities have to face.

“It just adds to the sense of additional burden that you carry around, and this exhaustion of having to explain to people why these things have an impact,” she said, according to WUSA9.

The councilwoman tweeted about the incident on Wednesday, calling the commentary inappropriate.

This sort of commentary is completely inappropriate and uncalled for. It is a loud commentary on the toxicity and culture of disrespect directed at leaders and community members of color. #Equity #Respect #Inclusivity #ZeroTolerance https://t.co/WnCqIsRG55

— Nancy Navarro (@nancy_navarro) March 3, 2021

It wasn’t the first time Navarro has been targeted for her culture or race, she said, but this particular time had been particularly “painful” because it involved people she worked with, the Post reported.

“That’s been the toughest part for me,” she told the Post. “My staff have seen how this kind of racism plays out in the macro level, but when it’s someone you know, it hits closer.”

Since being elected in 2009, Navarro has been an advocate for the growing Latino population in Montgomery County and helped pass county-wide racial equity legislation in 2019.

In a letter to the councilwoman, Nannette O. Hobson, the CEO of Montgomery Community Media, which helps the council run its virtual meetings, apologized for the incident.

“First, please allow me to express on behalf of Montogomery Community Media how deeply sorry we are about this unfortunate incident,” Hobson said in the letter. “The behavior of the male MCM trainee involved is completely unacceptable and not reflective of our culture. We are appropriately disgusted and disappointed.”

In a statement, the county said that County Council President Tom Hucker and Vice President Gabe Albornoz directed the Office of Human Resources to conduct a “full independent investigation.”

“While the facts involved with this matter are being investigated, we will recommit ourselves to educating our workforce and fostering a culture that is absolutely respectful, free of bigotry and reflective of Montgomery County’s values,” the county said in a statement.