Following days of controversial back-and-forth and an emotional debate during Tuesday’s D.C. Council meeting, the council moved to consider the re-nominations of Natalie Hopkinson and Cora Masters Barry to the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. All councilmembers except Chairman Phil Mendelson voted in favor of reconfirming them to their spots on the commission.

At-Large Councilmember Robert White, who is running for mayor, moved to consider the nominations after Mendelson originally declined to do so. The chairman had accused both Hopkinson and Barry of being divisive and “alienating” their colleagues, saying that “Where there is polarization or unhappiness between commission members, that is of concern to me.” The two women have been outspoken about the shortcomings of the commission and in particular the unevenness of arts funding in the city, which tends to go to the wealthiest and whitest wards.

Mendelson had omitted the nominations from the Committee of the Whole, where they were initially supposed to be considered — but White made a motion to “discharge” them to the overall legislative meeting for a full vote, a rare move in the D.C. Council. All members voted in favor of the motion, except for Mendelson, who voted “no,” and Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, who voted “present.” She cited the need to protect the integrity of committee work and her disappointment that the situation has gotten so contentious. “This thing has really gotten off the rails, as far as I’m concerned,” Cheh said.

Reading a prepared statement at the start of the meeting, Robert White said the arts commission has started to move in the “right direction” when it comes to focusing on equity, but slammed Mendelson’s decision to cut two of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s nominations without a hearing.

“We will send a chilling signal if we adopt the view that these women should not be reconfirmed because some people, off the official record, consider them disruptive,” White said.

Mendelson reiterated his previous statements — that he had received reports from unnamed commissioners that Hopkinson and Barry have been divisive and difficult to work with. He also raised issues with the accuracy and integrity of a graphic Hopkinson has used to detail inequitable funding of the arts, and denied claims that he doesn’t support Black women. “The rhetoric has taken on a life of its own, inflammatory and inaccurate,” Mendelson said.

Other councilmembers gave input, including At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who shared a personal story about being shamed by her 6th grade teacher when she required a subsidized lunch. “Whenever someone uses their power to silence or shame someone, I think about how I felt in that classroom.” She added that without a hearing on the two nominations, the Council avoided a necessary tough conversation.

Councilmembers Trayon White, Kenyan McDuffie, Vincent Gray, and Christina Henderson shared that they knew or had worked with the two nominees personally. Councilmember Trayon White said that while Barry is “feisty,” she has a “heart of gold” and has dedicated her life to D.C.’s youth.

Hopkinson reacted to her appointment on Twitter, thanking the councilmembers for their support. In an emailed statement, Barry also thanked the council and said, “Today’s vote was a vote for equity, fairness, and inclusion.”

The council also confirmed Bowser’s other two nominees, Kymber Lovett-Menkiti and Gretchen Wharton.

Previously:
Backlash Grows As Mendelson Keeps Two DC Arts Commissioners’ Positions In Limbo