Colorado state Rep. Richard Holtorf called another representative "Buckwheat" in a house session. Holtorf spoke in the direction of Rep. Leslie Herod, who is Black.
"Buckwheat" is a racist slur, named after a Black character who starred in "Our Gang" shorts in the 1930s.
Holtorf followed up by saying "Buckwheat" was a "term of endearment." After a recess, Holtorf returned to the microphone to give a textbook fauxpology: "I apologize if I've offended anybody in any way. It is not my intent, ladies and gentlemen. If anyone would like to talk to me afterwards, I'd be more than happy to visit with them."
Holtorf sounds like a real piece of work. From KDVR TV News, which has a video:
In February, Holtorf told Sullivan, whose son was murdered in the Aurora movie theater shooting, "You have to let go."
It's unclear who Holtorf directed the "Buckwheat" comment to.
But Rep. Leslie Herod later tweeted, "This is what I have to deal with Every. Damn. Day. #onwepress"
"I was completely disgusted that the use a black stereotypical caricature, racist trope, was used in our General Assembly," said Dr. Apryl Alexander, a psychology professor at the University of Denver, who often speaks on racial issues.
"All of these things were created as fictional caricatures that created these stereotypes of the lazy, African-American person," Alexander said. "So for that to be used in the state Capitol is just inappropriate."
