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Civics & Democracy

In New Podcast Episode, We Pin Down Ex-Council President Nury Martinez On Her Racist Comments

A woman with light brown skin and long back hair, wearing blue jeans and a sleeveless burgundy top, sits on a stool placed on a lawn, in front of a lush green hedge.
Former L.A. city council president Nury Martinez poses for a portrait in the backyard of her home.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
LAist
)

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Topline:

In Episode 3 of the LAist Studios podcast Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes, former L.A. city council president Nury Martinez accounts, for the first time, for the racist, offensive comments she made on the tapes. Host Antonia Cereijido also presses her to engage and think through how her comments were connected to the larger systemic issues of anti-Black racism and colorism in the Latino community.

Why you should listen: This is the first time Martinez has spoken to the media since resigning in disgrace last fall. Hear how she explains what she said on the tapes, and also what her experience of the scandal was and how it has affected her mental health. You can also read a written version of our interview with Martinez.

Why this interview matters: As Cereijido wrote in an essay, "There are people who think that Martinez shouldn’t be heard from again given what she said. I understand that point of view. My intention with this series is to continue to address the thorny and difficult issues at the heart of the scandal, to not let them go ... Real progress is made not through walling off part of our communities, but rather through consistent accountability and honest, sometimes uncomfortable, dialogue."

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About the podcast: Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes tells the story of how a secretly-recorded conversation, leaked to journalists online, exploded into the largest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history and exposed deep-seated issues over race and politics.

How do I listen to this episode? It's now available from LAist Studios. Check it out wherever you get your get podcasts! Or listen to the episode here:

Nury_KeyArt
Listen 52:50
Host Antonia Cereijido presses former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez to account for the racist, hurtful comments she made on the secret recording that rocked Los Angeles and led to her resignation. CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive subject matter.

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