Tamaya Dennard Says Notre Dame Fire Coverage Is Example of ‘Privilege’

Tamaya Dennard Facebook page

Facebook/Tamaya Dennard Tamaya Dennard pictured on her Facebook page.

Tamaya Dennard, a Democratic councilwoman from Cincinnati in Ohio, said on Twitter that the coverage and reaction to the Notre Dame fire is an example of “privilege.” A blaze broke out at the famed Parisian cathedral on the afternoon of April 15. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.

On the morning of April 16, Dennard took to Twitter to express her opinions on the coverage of the fire:

I’m saddened that the beautiful cathedral in France was damaged. But this is a prime example of privilege. White people don’t have to see me if they don’t choose to. Black people don’t have a choice. Please read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison…

It’s possible to hold multiple truths. I’m also saddened that Black churches in Louisiana were burned down. I’m sure they held significance as well. They were barely acknowledged.

Dennard was referencing the three fires that occurred at historically black churches in Louisiana. Those fires, set between March 26, 2019, and April 4, were the work of 21-year-old Holden Matthews, authorities have said. Speaking to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the vice president of the city’s NAACP chapter, Joe Mallory, said, “This is not the first time this has happened with black churches, where people set fires to them. There is not an outcry. It’s sad, but it’s the reality of this country what people value.” The Columbia Journalism-Review has collated much of the U.S. media coverage surrounding the Notre Dame fire.

Tamaya Dennard Twitter

Twitter/Tamaya DennardTamaya Dennard pictured on her Twitter page.

According to her LinkedIn page, Dennard has been on Cincinnati’s city council since January 2018. Previously, Dennard has been the political director for P.G. Sittenfeld’s senate campaign and was campaign manager for his mayoral campaign. In addition to being a councilwoman, Dennard is also a civic and social innovation specialist with Design Impact. Dennard is a graduate of University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

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