Why a TV Weatherman Turned MLK’s Name Into a Slur
The incident has been misanalyzed and misjudged—and the Rochester broadcaster should be reinstated.
by John McWhorter
Jan 12, 2019
3 minutes
![](https://article-imgs.scribdassets.com/8gb7grmd6oasanyz/images/fileDRVUEMS7.jpg)
Last week, the Rochester TV weatherman Jeremy Kappell accidentally referred to the legendary civil-rights leader as “Martin Luther Coon.” At first, neither he nor those present on the set thought of it as anything but a passing flub, especially given that Kappell immediately corrected himself and said “King.” However, in the wake of a gradual Twitter uproar and other complaints, Kappell was dismissed from his job.
For this man to lose his livelihood for having supposedly committed a
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days