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Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis found himself in some hot water late Sunday night after posting an anti-Asian slur on social media.
The tweet immediately caught the attention of other users who called Davis out for his choice of words.
“Gotta stop letting g–ks in Miami,” Davis tweeted.
Davis has since deleted the tweet and issued an apology, insisting the word has a different connotation where he grew up in Miami.
“I would never offend any group of people,” Davis wrote in his apology. “You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he ‘ran Miami.’
I used a term that from where I come from has always meant “lame”but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other
— C-Murda ™ (@Carlton_Lowkey) April 5, 2021
“With that being said, I’ll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring. I used a term that from where I come from has always meant ‘lame’ but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times.”
The Asian American Journalists Association Sports Task Force issued a statement in response to Davis’ comments and said they look forward to seeing how he will help out in Asian communities.
“Earlier today, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Carlton Davis posted a tweet that included a derogatory term historically used to refer to Asians in the early 1900s,” the statement read.
“The Asian American Journalists Association Sports Task Force is disappointed by his sentiment, especially at a time when Asians in the United States are experiencing a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate which has resulted in harassment and attacks…We also acknowledge Davis’ apology and look forward to seeing how he will help the affected communities.”
