Move over Rachel Dolezal.
There’s another white person now publicly identifying as being black.
This time, however, the person of interest hasn’t stood up for black causes or specialized in black hair styling techniques.
It’s a Miami police captain named Javier Ortiz, an accused racist.
During an uproarious meeting at the Miami City Hall in Coconut Grove on Friday the Miami Police captain said he was a “black male.”
The former union head was being put through the paces during a commission meeting regarding alleged acts of racism against black employees at the Miami Police Department.
Last October, he was the center of a$65,000 civil lawsuit settlement after he was accused of police brutality during a 2015 traffic stop.
The Miami New Times referred to Ortiz as “a powerful and politically connected cop who’s been accused of acts of racism and brutality against black citizens in numerous complaints and lawsuits.”
Members of the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association – the city’s largest black police association – aired out their complaints about the department’s leadership at the meeting, even reportedly presenting a binder with multiple cases demonstrating a pattern of unfair treatment of black male officers.
Ortiz is the subject of many complaints and has been criticized for social media posts celebrating cops who killed unarmed black men.
He continued to rise through the ranks nonetheless.
According to the Miami Herald, documents were presented where Ortiz identified as Hispanic when he applied for a position during the hearing.
Members of the police association revealed they took umbrage to his self-identification as a black man.
On Friday, he used that as a defense for the actions and behavior he was accused of.
“I”m a black male. Yes, I am, and I am not Hispanic,” Ortiz said. “I was born in this country. Never went to Cuba. I never went to Spain.”
After causing a stir among the city hall’s meeting members, District 3 commissioner Keon Hardemon asked Ortiz about what he identified as years ago on official documentation.
“I think I put white male,” he responded.
“I don’t know if … well I know I put white male, but I don’t know if I put Hispanic,” he continued, seemingly agitated.
“No, I know … listen, I know who I am.
District 5 Commissioner Joe Carollo, interjected: “You put down Hispanic male, didn’t you?”
“As a man, I stand by it,” Ortiz responded.
“When did you have this, uh, coming to, uh, God moment that you were black. When did God tell you that?” Carollo probed.
“Well, I learned that there are people in my family that are mixed and that are black,” Ortiz replied.
Hardemon, Miami’s sole black commissioner and chairma, jumped back in telling him, “let’s not talk about the degree of blackness.”
“Oh, no, you’re blacker than me — that’s obvious,” Ortiz shot back. “And if you know anything about the one-drop rule, which started in the 20th Century, which is what identifies and defines what a black male is, or a negro, you would know that if you have one drop of black in you, you’re considered black.”
A commotion soon ensued as Ortiz said he was part Jewish, too, the Miami New Times reported.
“Mr. Ortiz claimed that he was, uh, black — now I hear he’s Jewish-black,” Carollo added.
“I’m afraid maybe next month he’d be a black Jewish woman. I don’t know.”
All that was missing was a laugh track and a punchline rim shot.
But as always, this type of nonsense continues to happen in Florida.
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