“Could it just be that African Americans – the colored population – do not wash their hands as well as other groups? Or wear a mask? Or do not socially distance themselves? Could that just be maybe the explanation of why there’s a higher incidence?” said state Sen. Steve Huffman of Tipp City, north of Dayton.
The word “colored” is associated with segregation and Jim Crow laws, and it is almost universally considered offensive in 2020, noted Rep. Stephanie Howse, a Cleveland Democrat who is president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. She added that the stereotype that “black people are dirty” has been used in the U.S. to justify centuries of white superiority and black oppression.
The racist later apologized for his ‘unintentionally awkward question.”
“Regrettably, I asked a question in an unintentionally awkward way that was perceived as hurtful and was exactly the opposite of what I meant. I was trying to focus on why COVID-19 affects people of color at a higher rate, since we really do not know all the reasons,” Huffman said.
