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I'm so used to TV personalities making excuses for offensive segments that I didn't expect this.
Don't you hate it when someone you respect acts in a way that seems to go against who you thought they were? Me too. I've watched Melissa Harris-Perry's program for a quite a while, and I was genuinely surprised and somewhat disappointed when the commentary on a recent show turned to mocking a family that was partly formed through transracial adoption, just as mine was. It happened to be a political family, but that doesn't change anything. Harris-Perry didn't make the disparaging remarks, but she did laugh along with the commentators, and she didn't speak up. (You can watch the original clip; it's linked right below the video here.) This kind of apology — you know, a real one — is what we should see when someone makes a mistake. 'Cause we're all human, and humans mess up.
01.06.14
You can also watch the original clip, for which she apologized.