Geraldo Rivera Apologizes To Trayvon Martin’s Parents [Video]

Geraldo Rivera invited Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin, onto his show yesterday in order to offer them an apology for his controversial hoodie statement.

Before the interview, Geraldo tweeted that “Trayvon Martin’s parents are coming on my show tonight… I’m going to apologize for guilty hoodie stuff.”

Geraldo kept to his word and started the six minute interview with an apology for his comments. Geraldo said:

“What I was trying to do was caution parents that allowing kids to wear hoodies or similar clothing in certain circumstances, particularly if they were minority young men, could be dangerous. But I never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings and certainly Sybrina and Tracy, I never intended to hurt your feelings. I want to personally convey my deepest apologies to both of you. I am sorry, Tracy, if anything I said added to your misery.”

After Trayvon Martin’s death Rivera made a few controversial comments saying that the teenager’s hoodie was largely responsible for his death. Rivera has apologized before for his victim blaming comments, but this was the first time he actually tried to be sincere.

Tracy Martin said that he accepted the apology, but noted that on the night of Martin’s death it was raining and his son was justified in wearing his hoodie. Martin said:

“Your apology is accepted… Let me just add one thing with the wearing of the hoodie. I don’t think America knows that, in fact, at the time of the incident when he initially made the call, it was raining. So Trayvon had every right to have on his hood. He was protecting himself from the rain. So if being suspicious, walking in the rain with your hoodie on is a crime, then I guess the world is doing something wrong.”

Here’s a video of Rivera’s apology.

What do you think of Geraldo Rivera’s apology?