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Apache Tribe Chairman Apologizes for Halloween Blackface

"I asked my Creator to forgive me," he said about costume.

Well, this is awkward and ironic.

Terry Rambler, Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe –– most popularly known for his efforts to have the Washington Redskins change their team name –– was called out on social media for posting a photo of himself dressed as Bob Marley for Halloween. He wore a wig and blackface to complete the look. 

"I had fun tonight at the Bylas Halloween Carnival," he captioned the pic, which is now deleted.

CELEBRITIES IN BLACKFACE

The uproar was immediate, and his apology was swift. "I did this thinking I wanted to dress up as one of my favorite musicians... But in hindsight, it was a poor choice I made," he wrote, in a more recent post. "I am not a racist and I did not mean to offend anyone but I realize I did. There is no one to blame but me. I take full responsibility for my action."

He goes on to describe what that responsibility entails. "I asked my Creator to forgive me ... With the humbling experience I have had in life, I appreciate and respect my surroundings more, especially the people. I will continue to ask my Creator for forgiveness as I am not perfect but I realize asking for forgiveness means not repeating the action."

Donald Harris of a local chapter of the NAACP (Maricopa County, Arizona) would agree. "If you're not Black, don't do it," he said, according to CBS. "The blackface –– don't put on blackface because you are not African American, you're not Black. Every time we make a decision and we're in any type of leadership capacity, we better think about it once, and then think about it twice, and then maybe a third time before we do it, or don't do it."

Read the full apology and watch: BET News Special: Leave Your Blackface Costume Home This Halloween in the video below.

(Photo from left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, KPHO/KTVK)

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