Two days after declaring victory in the April 3 Democratic Primary, Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry found himself apologizing for comments he made about Asian store owners.
Barry, 76, said shortly after learning of his latest win, that Asians shop keepers who come into the ward and operate dirty shops should leave and make room for more African-American owned and operated businesses.
But Barry said in tweeted messages Thursday that his remarks had been taken out of context. He said he didn't mean to offend anyone, and that while he was referring to shop keepers who don't respect the community, he was wrong to target Asian Americans.
"I admit, I could and should have said it differently. But the facts are still very present in our daily lives here," Barry tweeted. "We are tired of sub-standard treatment, tired of being kept [at] arms length distance, tired of the lack of community engagement."
The former four-term mayor added that, "I want to express my deep apology for offending some members of the Asian community and the D.C. community."
