Former Griffin, Georgia, politician Larry Johnson made headlines for his repeated use of the n-word to describe his hometown during a city commission meeting in March, WSBTV News reports.

Video of Johnson's rant shows the former elected official was quite comfortable using the slur in the presence of the only black board member, Rodney McCord.

“I told you at that time that there were white folks, and there were black folks when I was growing up,” Johnson said, speaking to McCord from the podium. “There was white trash — my family — and there was N*ggertown. I lived next to N*ggertown.”

Johnson was reportedly upset over McCord's objection to the town's declaration of Confederate History Month. As the rant went on, McCord became more agitated by the rest of his colleagues' refusal to challenge Johnson about his use of the slur.

“You lived next to what town?” McCord asked Johnson.

“N*ggertown, son. I'm telling you, son, now that changed," Johnson replies using the slur again. "I'm no longer white trash.”

Flabbergasted, McCord interrupted Johnson to call out his blatant racism, “Hold on a second."

But he still did not receive support from his white colleagues. “Mr McCord, please let him get to the point so we can move on,” Chairman Douglas Hollberg said.

McCord, clearly irate at this point, went off.

“He can get to his point, but I'm not going to sit here … Maybe y'all are comfortable with it, I don't know. I'm not going to sit here and let this man use that type of language. And if nobody else is offended, then I am. Now if y'all want to clap and think that that's okay for this gentleman to stand, in 2018, and get here at the board of city commission meeting – 2018 – the Civil War is over and he is using the n-word not once, not twice – three times! And he just continues to say it with not one word about who it offends.”

Johnson apologized to McCord after going on to make claims that the Civil War was not about slavery. He also argued that Confederate History Month is important because it gives him a time to celebrate his heritage.

“My skin is white, my neck is red and I was born in Southern bed,” Johnson said. “Nothing wrong with that. I hope that doesn't offend anybody.”

In the days following the rant, and the video going viral, Johnson released a statement insisting he isn't a racist.

“I was trying to make a point about a time in my life when I was five years old, playing with other kids about that age; black and white kids not yet touched by cruelties in the world. In doing so, I used words familiar back then, but I did not get a chance to say we no longer use those words today, and the world is a better place."

Other members of the board came out, stating they were taken aback by the comments. McCord told WSBTV that there is no place for a word like that in this day in age, and that the word has no place in his community.

“I don’t think our community would stand for anything like that. We have come so far as a community; we’ve got so many positive things going on,” McCord said.

N-town

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