ARIZONA (KTVI)– An Arizona woman was terminated from her job after tweeting a photo of herself and a friend picking cotton. It wasn’t the act of picking cotton that made the post go viral, it was the caption that read: “Our inner Ni**er came out today.”
According to FOX 10 in Phoenix, Ericka Escalante, 20 says she’s not a racist and the offensive tweet was a “lack of her better judgment.”
After social media users determined Escalante was an intern at the Chandler-based health and wellness company called Isagenix, they posted the information on Twitter and asked the company if they tolerated such behavior.
The company responded:
“We are shocked and outraged by the actions of one of our interns this past weekend. Her actions and social media posts do not reflect the values we hold so dearly. Effective immediately, she is no longer associated with us. We are committed to a world that respects all cultures and we welcome anyone who seeks to join us in making our world a healthier place to live.”
She told the TV station that she does know better. “Everybody tells me you need to watch what you post,” said Escalante. “I was not thinking at all.”
“People make mistakes, everybody makes you learn from them and then you just move forward.”
Woman who posted cotton-picking photo with caption 'Our inner nig–r came out today' speaks: https://t.co/ctPULjCpjK pic.twitter.com/39TaEoIBwS
— The Root (@TheRoot) October 28, 2015
Arizona Woman who Posted Cotton-Picking Photo with Caption 'Our Inner Nig–r Came Out Today,' Speaks https://t.co/MbXbKu2bmj
— Tommy Lockhart (@TommyLockhart) October 28, 2015