Q&A for How to Apologize for a Racist Comment

It would be a good idea to still apologize and let them know you feel bad that you said that/didn't mean it.

If possible, you could try to talk to them in person. If not, you could make a new account just to send them an apology message, but make sure you don't use this account to harass them or disrespect their wishes to cut contact. Just send your apology and nothing else unless they respond with an invitation to continue conversing.

Accidents happen, and racist language is no exception to that. Just tell the investigator the truth and apologize. Assuming this is a first offense, you will probably just be reprimanded, and perhaps asked to undergo sensitivity training. Just accept this gracefully, and do not use that word again in the future.

Just go up and do it. Ask her if she wants to go somewhere to talk about it where nobody is around. There are two ways it could go: She will accept your apology, or she will not. Ether way, you have to apologize. Tell her why you did it; be honest, but not hurtful. Tell her how you felt about it before and after it happened.

Ask why they think so, and be prepared to truly listen to their response. Sometimes, only apologizing isn't enough, or it could be that you did something you weren't aware of. It's important to listen and understand why they feel this way. It's hard, but you need to put your ego aside and understand where they are coming from. After you learn more, you can figure out how to make amends and improve your reputation.

It's racist because it insinuates that black people are sub-human, or less human than white people. Racists have referred to black people as "apes" and "monkeys" in attempts to subjugate and rationalize the ill treatment of an entire race of people. If you can, go to the person and say something like "I apologize for calling you an ape. I didn't think about the implications off my words, and didn't realize it came across as racist and mean. I'm very sorry." Taking responsibility is a great step, and shows that even though you messed up, your heart is in the right place overall.

Recognize that while you meant well and were definitely trying to help, it was still inappropriate to say the N word out loud. Next time, don't say the N word out loud, and simply refer to it as "the N word." Apologize to whoever is upset, say that you were trying to be helpful, and that you understand now why it was inappropriate and you won't say the actual N word next time.

He probably took offense to that because it is a stereotype. Tell him you are sorry for what you said. Understand that those comments can offend people even if the stereotype doesn't apply to them. Tell him you know what you said was wrong and hurtful, that you recognize race isn't related to intelligence, and you won't say it again.

First, give her some time to cool off. She clearly feels very hurt. You want to avoid violating her boundaries. Once you've had time to cool down and deal with your own emotions, it may be worth re-reading the text to see if you can parse what upset her so much. Or you could ask a trusted person (friend, parent, etc.) to read the message and see if they can figure out what upset her. This can help you avoid repeating the mistake, and know what to apologize for. Then try giving her a note with the word "I'm sorry" written very clearly at the top. In the note, apologize for hurting her, and tell her that you're sorry and you value her friendship. She can choose to read it or ignore it. Respect her decision: maybe she'll come back, or maybe she won't. Don't pester her or contact her again; this will only make her feel pressured or like you're violating her boundaries. Just give her an opportunity to reconnect if she chooses, and then respect her choice either way.

Take them aside and tell them privately that even if they weren't offended, you know what you said was wrong, and you'd like to apologize. Say you're sorry and leave it at that.

Just tell your parents exactly what you did. There's really no getting around this, and it's always best to just be direct and accept your punishment. Tell them you plan to be more careful about what you say in the future. Don't try to make excuses; even if you "didn't know" that was an offensive remark, you should have. And definitely apologize to the girl when you see her again.

That is somewhat racist, but probably not the worst thing in the world, depending on the context. Just apologize and say, "that was a big generalization on my part," and move on. Don't try to justify or make excuses for what you said.

Apology etiquette is that when you make a mistake, your apology should be just as big as the mistake. (I'm assuming that your teacher isn't a racist jerk, and that's why you regret it.) Try writing a post similar to this: "Earlier, I made a post accusing someone of racism, and I regret it. I was thoughtless. I don't want to cause harm to this person's reputation, and I'm truly sorry. I've taken the post down." Then, try approaching the teacher and saying, "I made a rude post about you on social media, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry, and I took it down and posted an apology." I'd definitely recommend talking to a trusted adult about what happened, for more advice. It sounds like you have a lot of humility about what happened, and that's a good sign. You can make up for this.

Yes, that would be prejudice. Some people in every race are racist, whether they be African-American, Asian, White, etc. but rest assured that not everyone in that race is racist. When you see one member of a race being racist, don't assume that every other person in that race is the same; that will hurt your perception of reality. Some are more openminded and are good people to hang out with.

Here's a good apology template: Acknowledge the wrong, explain the error of your ways, and promise to do better. For example: "I'm sorry I said the n-word to you. I didn't understand what the word meant, or the awful history behind it. I understand now that it was completely inappropriate, and that you had every reason to be upset about it. I'm very sorry for what I said, and I promise to never say it again." He may accept your apology right away, or he may need some time. If you want, you can also ask "How can I make it up to you?" It's really great that you understood your mistake, and are planning an apology. That's a sign of a good friend, and good character.

That depends on how your co-workers are currently responding to the joke. If they are laughing at the badges part and don't seem to care about the other part, then an apology might complicate things. If they seem to respond in a hurt or distant way, then you might want to apologize.

No, it's not necessarily a bad thing to enjoy watching movies and TV shows with black characters, regardless of whether or not you actually are black (same goes for any race, in fact). The "fetishization" might be a problem, though, as it can definitely make some members of that race feel uncomfortable due to you thinking of them as some sort of fetish and not an actual person. In that case, I recommend explaining your feelings to someone if you can. If not, you can also try thinking about why you feel this way and maybe even try watching other movies/TV shows.

Racism can happen anywhere and at any time. While nobody is likely to actually be a victim of it in ethnically homogenous communities, racist comments can still be made (and likely the community will find some other minority to discriminate against).

You should tell the person that you apologise and make it clear that the statement came from a place of ignorance/lack of informedness. Research why white people can’t say it, and explain that you now understand.

Start an open conversation - acknowledge that you made a mistake and know your remark was hurtful, but also felt angered by her response and feel you both said something offensive. Hopefully this will prompt an apology and reconcile you both.

First off, respect what she wants and give her some alone time. Then, when you feel ready enough, tell her you're sorry and ask her why (if she is comfortable with it) she doesn't like talking about her culture.