Westword: Two young Black girls went before Denver City Council to ask for help for their school. Instead, they became the victims of a racist tirade.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students from Monarch Montessori spoke during the council’s weekly public comment session on Monday, May 13, requesting assistance in getting a yurt for their school. But less than a minute into their testimony, a voice from the online Zoom shouted at the girls to “go back to fucking Africa,” followed by a series of insults and racial slurs.

Council staff unsuccessfully tried to mute the anonymous speaker, but the racist rant continued for around thirty seconds, with the female-sounding voice repeatedly calling the children the N-word before the Zoom was eventually disconnected.

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