Justine Sacco Apologizes for Africa AIDS Tweet

Justine Sacco, the fired public relations executive, released a statement apologizing for her racially insensitive tweet that touched off a maelstrom in the world of social media, ABC News reports. Suggested Reading Why Calling For Beyoncรฉ To Retire Because She’s ‘Old’ Is Misogynistic and Ridiculous Is NeNe Leakes Plotting the Ultimate ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’…

Justine Sacco, the fired public relations executive, released a statement apologizing for her racially insensitive tweet that touched off a maelstrom in the world of social media, ABC News reports.

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In the statement, Sacco says she is a native of South Africa. Until recently, she worked for InterActive Corp., which owns websites like Match.com, Dictionary.com and Vimeo. But she was fired over a tweet that came from her account on Friday that read: "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!"

After sending her statement to a South African newspaper, the Star, Sacco shared the follow apology:

โ€œWords cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offendedย due to a needless andย carelessย tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, itย isย terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessedย firsthand.ย For being insensitiveย to this crisisโ€”which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformlyโ€”and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed. This is my father's country, and I was born here. I cherish myย ties to South Africa and my frequentย visits,ย but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. ย I am veryย sorry for the pain I caused.ย โ€œ

Read more at ABC News.

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