Boston Police Takes Flak for Black History Month Tweet

Boston's police department is taking all kinds of criticism over a tweet meant to celebrate Black History Month. The problem? The since-deleted tweet praised the accomplishments of a white man, reports WBZ. The offending tweet went out Sunday night, and it lauded the late Boston Celtics coach and exec Red Auerbach for being the first to draft a black player, to put an all-black starting five on the floor, and to hire the first black head coach in Bill Russell. Criticism came quickly, notes the Boston Globe, and one tweet sums things up: "Well done. Everyone knows black history month is all about honoring white guys."

On Monday, Mayor Marty Walsh joined the criticism, calling the police tweet “completely inappropriate and a gross misrepresentation of how we are honoring Black History Month in Boston." The police, meanwhile, issued a tweet of apology, saying, "BPD realizes that an earlier tweet may have offended some and we apologize for that." The department added another that celebrates the accomplishments of the aforementioned Russell. (More Boston stories.)