News Anchor Apologizes For Comparing Black Coworker To A Gorilla — His Response Is Flawless!

Props to news anchor Jason Hackett for making a teachable moment out of his co-anchor’s ridiculously offensive joke.

The anchor for the morning news show at Oklahoma’s KOCO5 sat down with his colleague Alex Housden as she delivered a tearful, self-pitying monologue about how sorry she was for comparing Hackett to a gorilla during a news segment the previous day.

The remark came on Tuesday when the anchors were reporting on a story about Fin, a baby western lowland gorilla at a local zoo who went viral for recording selfie videos. 

As the broadcast cut to the traffic report, Housden made a final comment to Hackett, who is black, saying: 

“Kind of looks like you when you take a picture.” 

Hackett paused before adding: 

“Yeah it does, actually, yeah. Very close to the camera.”

Naturally, the comment sparked a wave of outrage from viewers who called into the station and wrote on Facebook, explaining how Housden’s comment was racist and perpetuated an ugly slur about black people.

Related: Lara Spencer Apologizes For ‘Insensitive’ Comment About Prince George’s Ballet Classes

Most of us should already know this in 2019, but here’s a refresher: comparing black people to monkeys, gorillas, or apes is embedded in the racist underbelly of world history. Time and time again, it’s been used as a way of saying people with black skin are somehow less than human.

But Housden, a white woman, apparently didn’t get that breaking news.

A day later, the duo returned on screen again where Housden delivered a weepy apology. Immediately breaking down in tears, she told viewers: 

“I am here this morning because I want to apologize, not only to our co-anchor Jason but to our entire community. I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I have hurt people. I want you to know how much I hurt you out there….” 

She then turned to Hackett and said:

“… and how much I hurt you. I love you so much, and you have been one of my best friends for the past year and a half. I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you. And I love our community, and I want you all to know, from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for what I said. I know it was wrong, and I am so sorry.”

Hackett, for his part, took the high road. He accepted his co-worker’s apology and told viewers he hoped people could learn from the mistake, explaining: 

“I want to let everyone out there know that Alex is one of my best friends. We do what we do here, and it’s not as if we see each other here, and then we leave and then go home. We talk everyday, or almost every other day. I have told you things, I have shared things with you as a friend. I do appreciate you and I do love you.”

The anchor went on to explain: 

“All that being said, and Alex will be the first to admit to this to you, what she said yesterday was wrong. It cut deep for me, it cut deep for a lot of you in the community. I heard the phone calls, I heard the Facebook messages as well. Coming out of this, I want this to be a teachable moment. The lesson here is that words matter, there is no doubt about that…

Changing demographics here in this county, the demographics are changing. We are becoming a more diverse country, and there is no excuse. We have to understand the stereotypes, we have to understand each other’s backgrounds and the words that hurt. The words that cut deep, and we have to find a way to replace those words with love, and words of affirmation, as well.”

What a pro!

He concluded his statements with a message to the audience, saying:

“What we need to do, is use our words not to hurt, and not to divide, but to build a more perfect union.”

Preach!

It’s scary people still think it’s OK to say garbage like this in 2019 — let alone say it on television — but we applaud the anchor for responding to the unintentionally offensive comment with compassion and wisdom.

Watch the clip (below) to hear Housden’s full apology.

And, if you want to scream, see the moment Alex made the initial comment (below):

When Alex Housden KOCO thinks her co anchor Jason Hackett KOCO resembles an animal…

Posted by Joy Shana on Thursday, August 22, 2019

At least one person learned something from this fiasco.

[Image via KOCO5]

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