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Why did Mackenzie McKee call Kamala Harris 'colored' woman? 'Teen Mom' star's apology on MTV show sparks fury

'She knew that word was wrong! Let her go play with Trump,' one user tweeted

'Teen Mom' star Mackenzie McKee earned a lot of backlash earlier in 2021 for calling newly-elected Vice President Kamala Harris "colored." In a series of since-deleted Facebook posts, she wrote: "Sorry, no," she wrote, "There are a lot of amazing women in the world for my daughters to look up to and see as role models. Kamala Harris is not one of them." Soon, she was branded "racist" and "ignorant" by keyboard warriors who questioned her thoughts that brought about the fierce posts.

In the recently-aired 'Teen Mom OG' reunion episode, the issue was highlighted once again when McKee stepped up to apologize for the comments she had made on Harris. "I would have never, ever used that word if I knew it was derogatory," she said of her remark on Harris being "colored." Apparently, McKee had no idea the word was "offensive" until she was educated about it.

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Is McKee ignorant?

Host Dr Drew Pinsky and McKee noted that her interactions with Color of Change (an organization that focuses on civil rights advocacy) helped her understand the term and the history of it better. Arisha Hatch, Vice President, Color of Change explained to McKee that the word "colored" is offensive simply because it is associated with the "dark times" in the history of America when Black people were considered "less than human."

McKee chose her words carefully, said that she was thankful to Hatch for educating her. The reality TV star also went on to admit that the usage came from a place of "ignorance" and that she has been consciously working on it to avoid repeating such errors. The mom-of-three added that it would be a lesson for those who come from small towns, like herself. In addition to this, McKee acknowledged that she now knew what "white privilege" is and that the concept is very real.

'She is a Trump supporter from South'

Meanwhile, fans have continued to lambast her on social media. In a nutshell the narrative is no different from what it was a few months ago. 

"#TeenMom Mackenzie McKee on an IGLive just now, says she's sorry for mixing up "Colored Women" instead of "women of color", when complaining abt Kamala Harris. And it's MTV's fault that she has not apologized sooner. "They wanted it for the show on Tuesday & made her reword it," one commented, while another shared: "Of course she will talk about Harris... and of course she didn't know that word is demeaning. SHE'S FROM OKLAHOMA AND SHE IS A RACIST! She knew that word was WRONG! LET HER GO PLAY WITH TRUMP!"

"Watching MacKenzie play dumb about not knowing what she was saying when she called Kamala Harris colored just pissed me off. She's a Trump supporter from the south...she absolutely knew what she was saying. All these victims on #TeenMomOG is maddening. #TeenMomOGReunion," a third tweeted. 

"& please tell me what the hell Kamala Harris did for Mackenzie to say she’s not a role model girl is your husband a role model for your own children??? Start there. #TeenMomOG," another shared. 

McKee has often been pulled up by the social media users for making bold comments. Each time, she has come out unscathed. But this time, it'll be a while before she absolves herself of the explosive statement she made about Harris.