“It’s been my experience as a young, Black woman with a doctoral degree, that I’ve often been dismissed. It felt like maybe he didn’t want to show me that respect,” Dr. Carrie Rosario told Inside Edition.
A Greensboro, North Carolina, zoning commissioner who refused to use a woman’s correct title while addressing her during a Zoom meeting has been removed from the Zoning Commission by the City Council. In a video of the meeting with city officials, Tony Collins kept referring to Dr. Carrie Rosario as “Mrs. Rosario,” despite the fact that Rosario corrected him several times.
Rosario, an associate professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, spoke about the exchange with Inside Edition.
“I was very frustrated by the disregard for such a simple request,” Rosario said.
Earlier in the meeting, another commissioner made a similar error, but immediately apologized. Rosario says she believes ex-commissioner Collins was being intentionally disrespectful.
“It’s been my experience as a young, Black woman with a doctoral degree, that I’ve often been dismissed. It felt like maybe he didn’t want to show me that respect,” Rosario said.
The incident is reminding people of the controversy with first lady Dr. Jill Biden, in which a Wall Street Journal columnist questioned whether she should be addressed as doctor. Rosario says she can relate.
“I did see that this is at the intersection of both racism and sexism, even if it’s not something that was intent in Mr. Collins’ heart,” Rosario said.
Rosario said Collins did apologize in a voicemail. She says she accepted the apology and she has no “ill will” towards Collins.
Collins did not respond to requests for comment.
