Earlier tonight, the Evanston Ethics Board heard charges against Ald. Peter Braithwaite, 2.

For background on these charges, click here.

During call of the wards at the July 15 City Council meeting, Braithwaite said, “I really sit here and have a difficult time when I hear white folks admonishing me and using the word racism like it’s some coin phrase you just came up with. Unless you’ve walked in my shoes or any one of us blacks sitting back here I suggest you keep that to yourself. You want to have that conversation internally. I’m a big fan of that, internal versus external conversations. Do that.”

Regardless of your thoughts about what Ald. Braithwaite said toward the end of the July 15 City Council (I think his words were clumsy at best and offensive at worst), I believe the charges were a stretch.

It's disappointing that this incident rose to the level of an Ethics Board hearing, that it wasn't resolved by complainants and Ald. Braithwaite in a more productive, more restorative, less contentious, less time consuming, and less expensive way.

My two cents. What are yours?

Ultimately, the Ethics board found that Ald. Braithwaite did not violate the code of ethics.