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Viewers of C-SPAN's Washington Journal call-in show were left shocked Monday after a racist caller referred to the show's Black and Asian guests by a racial slur.
The caller used the word after host Pedro Echevarria had already pushed back on his previous statements about journalists Ebony McMorris of American Urban Radio Networks, who is Black, and Politico's Nicholas Wu, who is Asian.
When the man tried to continue asking his racist question, Pedro Echevarria hung up on him.
Ben Pu, NBC News' Producer for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, posted a clip of the incident to Twitter.
WARNING: racist language
the restraint shown here is just \n\n"I want to know if we can cut out some of these liberal things that are going on in America, just like on the TV now, we have two minorities. And I'm not against you minorities... when I was a little boy, the colo--"pic.twitter.com/wSYDT3BHJj— Ben Pu (@Ben Pu) 1650936818
The man identified himself as an 83-year-old from Tennessee, and called in with a question about "liberal things" that made very little sense.
He said:
“I want to know if we can cut out some of these liberal things that are going on in America, just like on the TV now, we have two minorities."
"And I’m not against you minorities …”
It seems as though he may not have had a question at all and simply wanted to complain about non-White people existing.
Echevarria, seeming to clock the man's intent, immediately pushed back.
“Caller, that shouldn’t be a factor."
"The guests we invite to our program we did invite, so what’s your question or comment for them please?”
Things got worse from there.
The man then said:
“When I was a little boy—listen, I’m 83 years old—I was a little boy, the colored people …”
We can all probably guess what the man was about to say next, but thankfully Echevarria cut him off before we had to find out.
Both McMorris and Wu showed admirable restraint, barely reacting to the man's comments.
In a reply to Pu's tweeted clip, McMorris described how she felt in the moment.
@BenPu_nbc @juwanthewriter I was trying to hold it in, but I promise you I felt all my ancestors rush through my body. @nicholaswu12 was right Pedro was a master at intercepting that. Next time the response may be different.— Ebony McMorris (@Ebony McMorris) 1650939656
Wu, too, shared his thoughts on the incident, praising Echevarria's swift dispatching of the racist man.
Props to Pedro too for being the most patient host I\u2019ve ever seen on tv— Nicholas Wu (@Nicholas Wu) 1650938225
On Twitter, people were appalled by the man's language.
They praised McMorris, Wu and Echevarria for keeping their cool and not indulging the man's racism.
An 83 year old white man still calling Black people "colored" in 2022.pic.twitter.com/Ev3YVr47k4— KD (@KD) 1650977299
That was hard to watch, but this.... This restraint right here... You both are rock stars, but this expression is magnificent. \n\nDear "caller from Tennessee",pic.twitter.com/Eyucp6c5sg— Not Everything is Alarming (@Not Everything is Alarming) 1650984318
This is the kind of free speech the right wing embraces. The caller has every right to speak his opinion, just like the moderator had a right to shut him down and move on. The right will say the caller's free speech was hindered and/or he was canceled. No, he met accountability.— LHenryV (@LHenryV) 1650981105
Three looks at \u201cthe look\u201d in action.pic.twitter.com/3iy8UVcHGW— Juwan the Writer/April\u2019s Tool (he/him) (@Juwan the Writer/April\u2019s Tool (he/him)) 1650937753
Jesus Christ, dude! I am so sorry. "Colored People?" Seriously?— Eric Michael Garcia (@Eric Michael Garcia) 1650940451
"when I was younger, I could be as racist & awful as I wanted to be & no one said shit to me. Why can we go back to that?" is a hell of a life philosophy.— Giant Apartheid D!ck (@Giant Apartheid D!ck) 1650986280
People of color around this country heave a collective sigh of understanding. \n\nAnd to those on this thread who asked why they didn\u2019t engage the caller in discussion\u2026POC OWE NO VALIDATION OF RACIST REMARKS.— Lucy Alban \ud83c\udd98 (@Lucy Alban \ud83c\udd98) 1650987396
Unreal.https://twitter.com/BenPu_nbc/status/1518765213293686784\u00a0\u2026— Jeri Ryan (@Jeri Ryan) 1651074830
He really called into CSPAN and told 3 people, none of whom are white that them being on TV was liberal.https://twitter.com/BenPu_nbc/status/1518765213293686784\u00a0\u2026— Guns are Post-Birth Abortifacients (@Guns are Post-Birth Abortifacients) 1650999263
Here's hoping McMorris and Wu can do their jobs without having to deal with this again any time soon.