The firing of former Denver Civil Service Commission Executive Director Niecy Murray is “a blatant affront to the Black community,” activist MiDian Z. Shofner told the City Council Monday.
“Today, because of what I’m going to address, I’m going to say my profession, I am a decolonizer,” Shofner said before she read a letter to city officials.
“We are writing as a collective body of local and national community members to formally demand a full investigation into the treatment and firing of Niecy Murray, a respected Black leader was instrumental in reforming the Denver Police Department’s testing process and has served as a crucial bridge between the community and the commission,” the letter states. “The handling of her dismissal has left many of us profoundly dissatisfied and deeply disappointed. The lack of leadership demonstrated by the commission board during this critical time is a blatant affront to the Black community and has severed the vital connection we had with the commission. The absence of meaningful engagement and outreach from the commission board is both disappointing and utterly irresponsible.”