The Metro Council’s Black Caucus is now known as the council’s Minority Caucus.
The 10 council members who make up the council’s Black Caucus voted to change their name to include all minorities, caucus president At-large Councilman Jerry Maynard told reporters Tuesday.
With the name-change comes the addition of District 31 Councilman Fabian Bedne, who in August became the first Latino in Metro history to be elected to a council seat. The council’s Minority Caucus has 11 members.
“We wanted to expand the caucus so that we’re not just advocating on behalf of African-Americans, but we want to be able to advocate on behalf of all minorities in Davidson County,” Maynard said. “Our county’s changed, and we want to reflect that change and diversity.
“We want the Latino community to know they now have an advocacy group here at the council,” he said, adding that he hopes the council will grow to include other minority groups as well.
Maynard, re-elected to his at-large seat in August, said the Minority Caucus would still push for issues that are important to the caucus’ African-American constituents.
“We’ll still deal with African-American issues that are specific to them, but we wanted to expand so that we could say, ‘If you are a minority or you are an underrepresented population, we are an advocacy for you.' ”
The council’s Minority Caucus members are: