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Former Georgia official uses n-word while advocating for a Confederate history month

by John Bowden - 04/07/18 8:49 AM ET

A former city commissioner in Griffin County, Ga., used the n-word during a city council meeting while making a plea for a Confederate history month.

Video reported by CNN shows former city commissioner Larry Johnson, a white man, using the word during a story about his youth.

“There were white folks. There were black folks when I was growing up,” Johnson says in the video. “There was white trash — my family. There was n—–town. I lived next to n—–town.”

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He is immediately interrupted in the video by current city commissioner Rodney McCord, who is black.

“You lived next to what town?” asked McCord.

“N—–town, son!” Johnson shot back. “I’m telling you that I’ve changed. I’m no longer white trash. And they’re no longer called that.”

After a brief exchange of words between members of the council, Johnson appeared to apologize and attempt to walk back his remark.

“Now, if that’s offensive, I apologize for being offensive,” he said. “I don’t use that word anymore.”

“You just used it,” McCord responded.

Johnson, who was contacted by CNN after the incident, added that he was remorseful about the outrage over his comments but said he would not apologize to McCord unless the official said he was sorry for interrupting Johnson.

“In doing so, I used words familiar back then,” Johnson said. “But I was interrupted and did not get to say, ‘But we no longer use those words today and the world is a better place.'”

McCord, meanwhile, told CNN he can’t understand why people still want to honor the Confederacy in 2018.

“I don’t understand why, in 2018, we’re still talking about the Confederates,” McCord said. “How should I, as a black person, celebrate that?”

Tags city council Confederacy Confederate flag Georgia Racism Racist language