In this week's installment of "What were they thinking?" sits Golf Channel commentator Kelly Tilghman, who right now must be thanking her lucky stars that she works on a channel only a few people watch.
On Friday, as Tilghman and fellow broadcaster Nick Faldo discussed Tiger Woods' dominance over the rest of golf's elites, Faldo suggested professional golf's up-and-coming players "gang up" on Woods to beat him. Tilghman agreed and added that they "lynch him in a back alley."
When did the act of lynching a person, effectively murdering them by hanging, become funny? At the very least, Tilghman's comment demonstrates she is ignorant of the history of racism that specifically targeted Black people. A horrific part of the United States' civil-rights history includes a rash of lynching that plagued the nation's Black community between 1882 and 1968. During that time, Black men and women accounted for 73 percent of the 4,730 lynchings throughout the nation, according to the Columbia University Press' Columbia Encyclopedia.
A list of lynching incidents by year and race that was compiled by the Tuskegee Institute reveals that around the 1880s, more blacks than whites fell victim to lynching, reports NewJersey.com. Check out the DiversityInc Noose Watch, which documents noose-hanging incidents across the country.
First to report Tilghman's comments was Newsday. A Golf Channel spokesperson told the newspaper Monday that Tilghman quickly regretted her choice of words and apologized on Sunday's telecast as well as directly to Woods' representatives.
"On Friday during our golf broadcast, Nick Faldo and I were discussing Tiger's dominance in the golf world and I used some poorly chosen words," said Tilghman, who played college golf at Duke and works as the main play-by-play announcer during The Golf Channel's PGA Tour telecasts. "I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologized directly to him. I also apologize to our viewers who may have been offended by my comments."
We asked DiversityInc readers to share their thoughts on what seeing a noose represents to them in the aftermath of the noose hangings in Jena, La., which sparked national outrage and conversation on the subject. Find out what they said about this heinous symbol and read all about the Jena 6 on DiversityInc.com.
The Golf Channel also responded to Tilghman's comments, reported ESPN.
"We regret the unfortunate choice of words that Kelly used during the broadcast and apologize to anyone who was offended by her remarks," the Golf Channel's statement read. "We take this matter very seriously. She has apologized privately to Tiger and publicly on the air."
Woods has not talked publicly about the incident, but his agent, Mark Steinberg, has.
"This story is a non-issue. Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly," said Steinberg in a statement he released to The Golf Channel. "Regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill intent in her comments. This story is a non-issue in our eyes. Case closed."
After news of Tilghman's comment hit the Internet, some people called for her firing. The web site Associated Comment compared Tilghman's comments with past racist remarks made by celebrities such as Michael Richards, Mel Gibson and Don Imus.
"Tilghman's comments are just as offensive as Imus comments towards the Rutgers Women's Basketball team, if not worse," wrote Associated Comment.
The Golf Channel does not plan any disciplinary action.
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