A white male leader of Arizona’s Maricopa County NAACP chapter is in hot water because of his appreciation for a local news reporter’s “tits.”
For context: earlier this week, several teens at Desert Vista high school thought it was a good idea to spell out the word “nigger” with t-shirts during senior picture day and put the photo on social media. On Tuesday, local NAACP head Don Harris held a meeting in response to that photo, bringing community leaders and teachers at Tempe Union High School together to discuss the slur. Afterwards, he was interviewed by a television reporter named Monique Griego and her cameraman, according to the Phoenix New Times, and that’s when it all went south.
Harris turned to New Times as a reporter asked him, “Can you just talk about the . . .” and made his enthusiastic comment about Griego. A few seconds later, he said it again: “Nice tits.”
Griego hasn’t commented on the incident—what is she supposed to say?—but Harris said plenty when a New Times reporter called him for comment on the “compliment.”
The 77-year-old lawyer said he’s used to being attacked for his position as the head of the NAACP because he was “the wrong flavor.” He continued telling a reporter sarcastically that he’s going to “slash his wrists” and “throw myself out of a fucking window, except I’m on the first floor.”
He concluded his rant by stating that he’s “one of the best goddamned people in the state,” supports the National Organization of Women and before adding “goddamn!—are you shitting me? Are you going to write this up?” Harris then hung up.
What a day!
Contact the author at [email protected].
Image via a 2015 CNN interview with Harris and Anderson Cooper via Facebook.