*The white high school teen who called a black cheerleader the N-word after sharing their photo on Snapchat has apologized in person to the woman, and took a second photo together.
Leanna E., a cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts, posted their second pic on her Twitter account with the caption: “A week ago I was the victim of a racial slur that was shared around the world. Today, I chose forgiveness & feel stronger because of it.”
A week ago I was the victim of a racial slur that was shared around the world. Today, I chose forgiveness & feel stronger because of it.??? pic.twitter.com/svnd1eDLfd
— Leanna E. (@LeannaE_CC) December 22, 2016
As previously reported, 17-year-old Tyler Tackett of Russiaville, Indiana’s Western High School appeared in a photo next to Leanna, as well as another white cheerleader and another white male classmate. The teen captioned the snap: “Of course Mason put me next to the n**ger.”
The photo, since deleted, went viral and Tyler eventually posted an apology via Instagram, but that, too, was removed.
According to The IndyStar, Tyler and his mom met with Leanna to ask for forgiveness:
The student and his mother met Leanna and her coach in a conference room in the complex on the northwest side, and though Leanna extended a hand to shake, the teen greeted her with a hug and flowers.
“I extended my hand to shake, and he was like, ‘Come on, bring it in, bring it in.’ It was a good ice breaker,” she said. “He was pretty uncomfortable, which is understandable, but he got right to his apology. He said that he was a kid who made a mistake. He actually referred to himself as a dumb kid that messed up, and he said he was trying to be funny and wasn’t and that he made a mistake and he was sorry, very sorry for hurting me and others.”
His mother was extremely gracious, too, Leanna said.
“She was emotional and expressed her gratitude and her appreciation for me being so forgiving and me being willing to meet with them, and she immediately embraced me,” she said. “She said he wasn’t raised that way, that it was peer influence. He grew up in a Christian home, and he was taught better.”
Tackett has reportedly received physical threats and angry reactions from “thousands of people commenting online,” and Leanna feels that it’s unwarranted.
“I hope that people look at themselves and step back and realize everybody makes mistakes; nobody’s perfect,” she said. “I feel like there is so much good in Indiana, and the heart of the state is pure and good. That’s what I feel like draws people in. I would hate to think that somebody would read that story of this one student who’s made one mistake and categorize everybody in the state as being the same way, and if so, that’s just stupid.”
Leanna said she didn’t believe the teen was racist and was told that he and his friends use the N-word as a term of endearment, a practice she attributes to the “Trump effect,” the sudden spike of overt racist behavior and imagery during the campaign and election of Donald Trump.
“It has become acceptable, for some reason, to be racist or make racist comments, and I don’t really know why that is,” she said. “The leaders of the nation are making these mistakes, and it’s seeming OK. It’s not that surprising that these kids would make the same mistakes. That generation, that age group, they need a lot of help, a lot of guidance. They’ve grown up with phones and technology at their fingertips, and I don’t think they have the mental and physiological capacity to fully understand the precautions they should take with the internet and with the future.”
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