Mecklenburg County, N.C., commissioner Kim Ratliff has come under fire after making statements with racial overtones, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Ratliff told a local television station she would prefer commissioners not choose a "white male" to be the next county manager. Some want to her to see repercussions for her statements.
In the first story, aired Friday, Ratliff, who is black, said the county needs a manager who is "a nonwhite male who can have good working relations with all people."
A second story, aired Monday, had Ratliff standing by her statement, though she said she may not have used the right choice of words.
On Wednesday, Ratliff told the Observer that her remarks were "taken out of context" and that her intentions weren’t to cut white men out of the application process.
"I was saying I want all types of people to apply, not just white men. And black men," she said. "We know they are going to apply. I want women to take a shot at it. We have a lot of women in leadership roles across the country. But a lot of times when positions come open, women are apprehensive about stepping up.
She has said she does not need to apologize for these comments, according to the Observer.