The outrage over Blackfish star and Beneath The Surface author John Hargrove and the video of him engaged in racial slur-filled rant continues to grow. Today, the son of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. released a statement slamming Hargrove.
Statement From Martin Luther King III On John Hargrove
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
In light of the release of a YouTube video showing John Hargrove, a former orca trainer who is on a book tour promoting “Beneath the Surface,” using racial slurs, Martin Luther King III released the following statement:
“The repeated usage of a term long associated with the denigration of people of color, privately or publicly, is unacceptable in a civil society. Mr. Hargrove has compromised his moral authority as an animal rights advocate when he shows so little respect for his fellow man. This unfortunate and despicable practice will not be eradicated by late apologies. There is a moral consensus that must permeate the hearts and minds of current and future generations to correct these behaviors. We can and must do better.”
SOURCE The Office of Martin Luther King III
We applaud Mr. King for his comments and we agree that hateful language, like the kind John Hargrove repeated in the video, has no place in our society.