Rapper Sexyy Red formally apologized to the family of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for posting an AI-manipulated photo of her with the late civil rights leader who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
The 26-year-old "U My Everything" rap artist honored the annual day of MLK Jr.'s remembrance with a digitally rendered image depicting herself with MLK Jr. at a nightclub, clasping hands as they gaze into each other's eyes.
The post found its way to MLK Jr.'s youngest of four daughters, Bernice King, and it prompted her to call out Red for disrespecting her father's family and legacy with the image.
King requested Red to delete the post immediately.
The 61-year-old lawyer and minister wrote:
"This is intentionally distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful to my family and my father, who is not here to respond himself because he was assassinated for working for your civil and human rights and to end war and poverty."
Here is a screenshot of King's response to the controversial post.
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Red immediately expressed regret and honored King's request by removing the post.
The rapper penned the following message to King, which read:
"You ain’t wrong, never meant to disrespect your family my apologies."
"Just resposted something I saw that I thought was innocent."
Social media users gave Red props for the way she took responsibility for her actions.
King, whose father died a week after she turned five, took Red's apology to heart.
She also seized on the opportunity to remind the public that exploiting her father's image undermines his ultimate sacrifice and lifelong mission of advocating for civil rights for people of color in America.
"Thank you for your apology, which I sincerely accept. Please know that it was not my intention that you be denigrated. I value you as a human being," wrote King.
She continued:
"I hope you understand my concerns about the image. I know that my father has become a bit of a caricature to the world and that his image is often used with no regard to his family, his sacrificial work, or to the tragic, unjust way in which he died (a state-sanctioned assassination)."
"Unfortunately, I regularly challenge the disregard. I earnestly wish that people would imagine what it would feel like to see their deceased, murdered father repurposed for party fliers, unjust legislation, etc."
King concluded with, "All the best to you, young lady."
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