NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (TND) — A Nevada city is facing strong backlash after announcing plans to host a Black-owned business fair Saturday in celebration of Black History Month.
The event, put on by the City of North Las Vegas, will feature local Black vendors, community resources, an art corner and an area for children. Food trucks and live entertainment will also be on-hand.
North Las Vegas MayorPamela Goynes-Brown, a Democrat, announced the event on social media Sunday. Libs of TikTok, a well-known activist account, shared Goynes-Brown’s video and alleged the fair constitutes government-sponsored discrimination.
BREAKING: The Mayor of @CNLV announces the city will discriminate against white business owners,” Libs of TikTokwrote. “This is government-sanctioned and taxpayer-funded racism.”
The post by Libs of TikTok spurred a flurry of criticism from social media users, many of whom called the event “racist” and accused the city of perpetuating “segregation.”
The outrage overflowed onto the City of North Las Vegas’s official X account, where users began asking whether or not the city plans to hold business fairs for other demographics.
The National Desk reached out to the City of North Las Vegas for comment Tuesday and was told by a spokesperson that “allbusinesses were able and welcomed to participate in the community event.”
Events directed specifically at certain races and people groups have come under intense scrutiny recently. Boston Mayor Michelle Lu faced intense backlash in December after her office sent out an invite for an “electeds of color” holiday party.
Earlier this month, an Illinois school was hit with a lawsuit from advocacy group Parents Defending Educationover a club that allegedly separates students by race.
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