Fairfax County Library Board Member Accused of Racist Remarks

By Chris Gordon and Ashley Clarke • Published August 21, 2020 • Updated on August 21, 2020 at 10:16 pm

People are calling for the resignation of a Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees member after he made controversial comments about the books highlighted on the library’s website.

The comments were made by Philip Rosenthal, the president of National Credit Corporation, during a public meeting.

“Black lives documentary. Why don’t we have some white lives documentaries?” Rosenthal asked.

Rosenthal also took aim at books celebrating the LGBTQ community.

“We have ‘Rainbow Reads for Teens,’ why don’t we have the flip side of the rainbow reads for teens?” he asked.

The Northern Virginia Equity Coalition sent a letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the board of trustees of Fairfax County’s libraries asking for Rosenthal’s resignation or removal.

{snip}