SC councilwoman: "Chocolate covered" apology

"Chocolate covered" apology (Added: March 31, 2011)

SC city councilwoman apologizes for call to make upcoming heritage event a "chocolate covered" festival. (more)

0 Ratings | 6 Video Views

By: NBC | CountOn2.com
Published: March 31, 2011
Updated: March 31, 2011 - 5:06 PM

A South Carolina politician is apologizing for her recent remarks.

During a meeting about the Heritage Golf Tournament, Beaufort County Councilwoman Laura Von Harten said a number of things about changing the theme of the tournament, saying it should be a "chocolate covered festival."

"I did use the term 'chocolate covered' and realize now I shouldn't have said that. That's not a term that most people would respond to," she said.

Von Harten says she meant nothing racist by it nor did she mean anything derogatory when she used the term "kente cloth."

Rather, she says she was trying to draw attention to the fact that the county is willing to provide public money to keep the Heritage Tournament, which honors Scottish traditions.

"If it's in the Lowcountry, I was just trying to say we should be inclusive and honor our Gullah-Geechee Corridor and our local culture here," she said.

Von Harten says the "chocolate covered" remark was taken from Ray Nagin, the former mayor of New Orleans.

She says she is very conscious of race and thinks there needs to be more discussions about the topic.

When asked if she may be in the habit of saying the wrong thing, Von Harten responded "Oh, all the time".