Red Cross Apologizes for 'Racist' Poster
The group will work with "a diversity advocacy organization for their guidance moving forward"
6.28.2016
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The American Red Cross issued an apology for a poster that some people say is offensive. The poster portrays children misbehaving around a pool with arrows pointing to "cool" and not "not cool" behavior. Some people claimed the "cool" kids were white while the "not cool" kinds were children of color.
The poster, entitled "Be Cool, Follow the Rules" -- meant to promote pool safety -- labeled children as "cool" or "not cool" depending on whether they followed pool rules.The issue that many pointed out, however, was that all of the children labeled "cool" were white, while all of the children labeled "not cool" appeared to be people of color.
The Red Cross responded on Twitter with an apology.
"We deeply apologize for any misunderstanding, as it was absolutely not our intent to offend anyone. As one of the nation’s oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do, every day," the Red Cross said in a statement.
The group also said it discontinued the poster and removed it from the website.
"We are currently in the process of completing a formal agreement with a diversity advocacy organization for their guidance moving forward," the organization added.
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