insider@insider.com (Lauren Frias)Business Insider
A senior State Department official resigned Thursday in light of President Donald Trump’s response to racial injustice, The Washington Post reported.
Mary Elizabeth Taylor had served as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs since Trump assumed office in January 2017. She was one of the highest-ranking Black officials in the Trump administration.
Taylor submitted her resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, writing that her departure followed the “dictates of my conscience.”
“Moments of upheaval can change you, shift the trajectory of your life, and mold your character,” Taylor wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Post. “The President’s comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions.”
Taylor went on to say she was “deeply grateful” to Pompeo for “empowering me to lead this team and strategically advise you over these last two years.”
“You have shown grace and respect in listening to my opinions, and your remarkable leadership has made me a better leader and team member,” she wrote in the letter. “I appreciate that you understand my strong loyalty to my personal convictions and values, particularly in light of recent events.”
Taylor’s resignation appears to be the first high-profile departure prompted by Trump’s response to demands to address police reform and racial inequality.
Black Lives Matter protests have erupted across the country since the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.
While Trump called Floyd’s death a “grave tragedy,” the president has also name-dropped Floyd when touting the recovering economy and condemned protesters and their calls to defund police departments.
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Earlier this month, Taylor wrote a message to her team at the State Department about Floyd’s death, writing that her heart “is broken, in a way from which I’ve had to heal it countless times,” The Post reported, which obtained the message as well.
“George Floyd’s horrific murder and the recent deaths of other Black Americans have shaken our nation at its core,” she wrote. “Every time we witness these heinous, murderous events, we are reminded that our country’s wounds run deep and remain untreated.”
“For our team members who are hurting right now, please know you are not alone,” she said. “You are seen, recognized, heard, and supported. I am right here with you.”
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