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Bucs CB Carlton Davis Apologizes For Anti-Asian Slur

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis is in a bit of hot water after sending out a tweet containing an anti-Asian slur Sunday night. He has since apologized, saying he did not realize the term’s very hurtful meaning.

“Gotta stop letting g—- in Miami,” Davis wrote in the since-deleted tweet.

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Davis apologized in subsequent tweets for using the slur and said he thought the term meant “lame.”

“I would never offend any group of people,” Davis wrote in a tweet accompanied by an image from an undisclosed slang dictionary entry. “You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he ‘ran Miami’ With that being said I’ll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring ❤️.

“I used a term that from where I come from has always meant ‘lame’ but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times.”

The Asian American Journalists Association Sports Task Force issued a statement in response late Sunday night:

Earlier today, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Carlton Davis posted a tweet that included a derogatory term historically used to refer to Asians in the early 1900s. The Asian American Journalists Association Sports Task Force is disappointed by his sentiment, especially at a time when Asians in the United States are experiencing a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate which has resulted in harassment and attacks.

“Gook” is a hateful slur and is listed in AAJA’s official guidance on covering Asia and Asian Americans. The AAJA STF appreciates the swift response by the Buccaneers’ organization to address this matter. We also acknowledge Davis’ apology and look forward to seeing how he will help the affected communities.

AAJA calls on national and local media outlets to prioritize coverage of this ongoing violence and hate against AAPIs, and to empower their journalists to report on these incidents immediately, accurately and comprehensively. AAJA National has also put together a list of related mental health resources that you can find here.

Ironically Carlton Davis is part of the  Tampa Bay Bucs social justice board.


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