Durham Mayor Says He Will Not Apologize For Saying YN

In the heat of a re-election season, Durham, North Carolina Mayor Leonardo Williams is receiving backlash for using the acronym “YN” during a town hall meeting in July and also refusing to apologize for it.

In a town hall video posted on Facebook on July 3, the mayor was responding to questions regarding the increase in crime in the community. In a response to gun violence, Williams called the young people involved in gun violence and carrying firearms around the community “YNs,” which is short for “young n****.”

Williams responded to the backlash by saying he used the term in a conversational way to connect with community members.

Many people believe that the use of the term was harmful to youth and reinforces harsh stereotypes.

In another Facebook video posted on July 18, Mayor Williams addressed the public about his comments during the town hall meeting. He said that his intent was not to use the term in a derogatory way to bash youth.

“I’m not taking back the context of that conversation, and I’m not going to apologize either,” Williams said in an interview with the Raleigh News & Observer. “My reference is, these youngins on the street are killing each other, something has to be done. I wish people would focus on that, rather than two letters that came out of my mouth.”

Williams has been the mayor of Durham since December 2023 and is currently running for re-election. Before becoming Mayor, he was elected to the Durham City Council in 2021. Williams is also a former school teacher and administrator.