“Diversity” was advertised as a prominent feature of the “coffee party” movement that held hundreds of gatherings Saturday to counter the conservative tea party movement.

But the meeting of about 40 people in West Palm Beach was predominantly white, and a perusal of Coffee Party USA photos from around the nation on Flickr.com shows mostly white faces.

“I’m a little surprised that there aren’t more young people and more people of color. I’m glad to see these people, though,” said Phil Stelly of North Palm Beach, who is 54 and black. He left early from Saturday’s meeting at a Panera Bread restaurant, but said he remains interested in the nascent group.

Two black women took part in the West Palm Beach meeting. Local organizer George Papison said he believes several participants were Latino.

“I would have liked to have seen more participants of color, but I don’t know whether we had any control over that….I would have liked to have seen more younger people, frankly,” said Papison, who is 59.

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A 2009 rant by MSNBC’s Rick Santelli helped launch the conservative tea party movement.

Now an Obama supporter’s Facebook rantings have launched an alternative “coffee party” that will try to gain traction Saturday with gatherings across the U.S., including one in West Palm Beach.

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