Republican National Committee Backtracks After Cringeworthy Attempt To Honor Rosa Parks

The Republican National Committee backtracked on Sunday after sending out a cringeworthy tweet meant to honor Rosa Parks on the 58th anniversary of her arrest after refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Alabama.

The tweet, which was almost immediately mocked and denounced, also declared that Parks had helped "end" racism in the U.S.:

About four hours later, the RNC clarified:

Indeed, most Americans wouldn't agree with the characterization that racism no longer exists in the U.S.

A May 2013 survey from the Pew Research Center found that 88% of blacks and 57% of whites felt that there is at least "some" discrimination toward African-Americans. And as recently as a 2008 Gallup survey (before President Barack Obama's election), a plurality of white, Latino, and African-Americans felt that racism against blacks was "widespread."