AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The sole African-American member of the board overseeing Austin’s public transportation authority has resigned after earlier saying a black executive should not be hired to lead the transit agency.
Beverly Silas resigned Tuesday from the Capital Metro board while apologizing for remarks she made during a board meeting in August.
Silas was discussing potential black candidates for CEO and president of Capital Metro when she said, “Austin is not the place for them.”
She later clarified to the Austin American-Statesman that she doesn’t oppose hiring an African-American.
But she says that, “because of the environment here, they might be subject to failure.”
Silas says Austin has drawn strong black managers who excelled in prior roles but ran into opposition when they took posts in the capital.