As some leftists are battling alleged racism in all its forms in the wake of George Floyd's death in police custody, others in the cancel culture mob are targeting anything not deemed politically correct. This is playing out in Duluth, Minnesota, where the mayor is pushing to get rid of terms that are considered offensive to Indigenous people.
That includes removing the word "chief" from government job titles.
Mayor Emily Larson called on city council members to approve changing the language "so that we have more inclusive leadership and less language that is rooted in hurt and offensive, intentional marginalization."
"I think that there are other titles that we have the opportunity to use to steer away from language that may put people down based off their race or culture," said Alicia Kozlowski, Duluth's community relations officer and member of the Grand Portage and Fond du Lac Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Kozlowski said "chief" is used as "a racial epithet, and it turns into a microaggression." She added that the city is trying to be proactive by addressing the issue before residents ask.
Larson said the city is also considering changing the titles of Duluth's police and fire chiefs. The term is used by professional law enforcement associations and to refer to those in comparable public safety roles elsewhere, which makes finding a suitable replacement more challenging.
Since Wednesday, Larson has received pushback from some residents pointing out the Latin etymology of the word and questioning the city's decision to take on this issue as it faces a potential $38 million budget shortfall. (The Star Tribune)
According to the Star Tribune, the chief administrative officer's title would become city administrator, while the chief financial officer would change to finance director.
A vote is scheduled for Monday night.
