An ex-racial equity chief at Minneapolis City Hall who asked to attend a taxpayer-funded leadership retreat and was reportedly overseeing a nearly $500,000 Black Expo event has accused her former colleagues of racism .
Tyeastia Green claims to have a “toxic work culture environment” and claims she was forced to work in an office where she could hear nearby prison inmates crying through the walls.
She has also accused several senior black officials – including President Andrea Jenkins and member LaTrisha Vetaw – of being “anti-black.”
However, Jenkins fired back, claiming she was “not against black, I’m against incompetent.”
Green assumed the role of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the city where George Floyd was murdered in March 2022. She left her job this month.
Tyeastia Green alleges a “toxic work culture environment” at City Hall and claims she was forced to work in an office where she could hear nearby prison inmates crying through the walls
In a 14-page memo, Green accused black seniors on the council, including council member LaTrisha Vetaw (left) and council president Andrea Jenkins (right).
In a scathing memo to city officials, Green complained that on her first day she was placed in a “mouse-infested room” that shared a wall with prison inmates.
Some cells of the Hennepin County Jail are located in City Hall.
She also claimed that she was denied funding to attend a leadership conference by interim City Operations Officer Heather Johnston.
“Who decides what is and isn’t a leadership conference,” she wrote in the 14-page memo.
Green doesn’t name the event, but city records seen by the Star Tribune show it was See Change Sessions, a three-day event in Burlington, Vermont. Green is said to have lived in Vermont before taking on the role in Minneapolis.
The See Change agenda lists activities like snowkiting and yoga, as well as a series of talks, including two titled “Let go of climate guilt and demystify climate justice.”
Although other events on the agenda are relevant to racial justice and inclusion, including a talk on ‘lived experiences’ and supporting autism in employment.
Green requested $2,433.21 for event registration, airline tickets and a travel agency fee, the city claims, which denied the application.
Her memo also included a flow chart explaining the issues faced by women of color in the workplace.
But much of the tension between Green and her colleagues stemmed from Minneapolis’ first business show, I am Ancestors Wildest Dreams, which she was hired to organize.
The full budget isn’t known, but the city council told the Star Tribune that it had set aside $435,000 for the February 17 event.
Green – pictured on her Facebook page – complained that on her first day she was placed in a “mouse-infested room” that shared a wall with prison inmates
Green, pictured far left, asked $2,433.21 for a “leadership conference” in Vermont that featured yoga and snowkiting. Although some conversations at the event were relevant to her role
It added that “the total amount budgeted outside of the measures taken on February 17 is still being evaluated by the city.”
A week before the event, the council reportedly held an emergency meeting to fill a funding gap — at which point Green claimed the Bush Foundation had offered the racial equality charity $3 million to sponsor it.
This claim was disputed by city officials. In emails posted to Twitter by her allies, Green says she was offered the sum of $3 million, but the foundation determined the mayor and city council could not be involved in the event — conditions that did not allow it she couldn’t agree.
“I didn’t want to say all this in the council because it’s embarrassing for the council and the mayor.”
Overall, the February 25 expo was viewed as a failure by local businesses, with one KSTP saying it was a “complete disappointment”.
Markella Smith, owner of The Dream Shop, added that she was promised 20,000 people would attend, but in reality only a few hundred showed up.
Green spent her last day in her role on March 12th.
She claims she resigned on February 21 but was encouraged to reconsider her resignation.
Then, on March 13, she was told she had “not been appointed.”
In her scathing 14-page memo, Green included a flowchart of the issues women of color face at work
She adds that she has been given the option of either resigning or not being appointed – and concludes she is maintaining her February 21 resignation.
She has since slammed town hall in the memo, which begins with a quote from Zora Neale Hurston that reads, “If you keep quiet about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it.”
She accuses Council President Jenkins of “spreading rumors about Race & Equity’s lack of work”.
She adds: “After six months in office, the Council President expected that I should have solved racism in the company.”
She accused Jenkins and La’Trisha Vetaw – who are both black – of creating “an unsafe and unhealthy work environment for black people”.
She alleges Vetaw “taunted” and “stared at me in disgust” during a council hearing.
Some of the views echo those of her predecessor in the role, Joy Marsh, who wrote a public letter claiming non-white workers on the council face “gaslighting, marginalization and tokenism.”
In her response, Vetaw focused on her disappointment with the Expo event and did not address the criticisms outlined by Green
“While I had numerous concerns about the Expo, I played my part in making the event a success,” she said in a statement given to the Star Tribune.
Green Claims Council President Andrea Jenkins, pictured, was spreading rumors about her lack of work
La’Trisha Vetaw is accused of taunting Green during a council meeting. She said she looks forward to the results of the fair exam
“In the end, I think that this event was unsatisfactory for various reasons.
“First and foremost, we have failed our small, black-owned businesses. I look forward to the results of the exam. … I will work to ensure that the lessons of the exam are put into practice and that we work to regain trust.”
Meanwhile, Jenkins told the outlet, “I’m not against Black, but I’m against Incompetent.”
Prior to her role in Minneapolis, Green was the first-ever director of racial equality, inclusion and belonging for the city of Burlington.
She reportedly quit her job after two years due to tensions with her colleagues.
has reached out to Green and City Hall for comment.