Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot (D.) said Wednesday that she will grant interviews only to "black or brown" journalists, according to local reporters.
"As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews—only to Black or Brown journalists," NBC Chicago reporter Mary Ann Ahern tweeted Tuesday. Two local PBS reporters also confirmed Lightfoot's policy.
The mayor said her racial restrictions will promote "diversity and inclusion."
"It's a shame that in 2021, the City Hall press corps is overwhelmingly White in a city where more than half of the city identifies as Black, Latino, AAPI or Native American," Lightfoot tweeted. "Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress we must change. This is exactly why I'm being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters."
