City Cancels Segregated Meetings To Discuss Racial Equity

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minneapolis officials have canceled meetings of city employees segregated by race to mark the 400th anniversary of slavery in North America.

Fliers promoting three sessions through July have been taken down at City Hall. The lunch-hour meetings were to be segregated by race for black and white city employees.

City Coordinator Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said she had called off the sessions. She indicated the meetings would be rescheduled, but said the city does not condone dividing people "based on race, ethnicity or any other protected class."

The Star Tribune reports Minneapolis Civil Rights Director Velma Korbel said the discussions were meant to be part of an effort to address racial equity in city government and services. Korbel was not involved in planning the meetings.

Minneapolis Urban League President Steven Belton says he thinks separate sessions for black and white people would be productive.