Richards calls black leaders to apologize for racist remarks

Six days after his racist tirade against black hecklers at a Los Angeles comedy club, Michael Richards is moving into a new stage of damage control.

The comedian has hired New York publicist Howard Rubenstein, who has close contacts with the black community. And, at Rubenstein's urging, Richards has called two high-profile black leaders, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, to once again apologize for his behaviour.

The comedian, who played Kramer on the Seinfeld TV series, apologized for the racial slurs on The Late Show with David Letterman, saying his remarks had been fuelled by anger,not bigotry.

However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued a statement Wednesday saying the comedian was in denial, and comparing Richards's tirade to anti-Semitic comments made by Mel Gibson earlier this year.

These kinds of comments are a pervasive trend in American culture, the NAACP said.

Rubenstein said Richards"wants to heal the tremendous wound that he's inflicted on the American public, and on the African-American community."

Jackson said he recommended the Jewish comedian get some training in racial sensitivity.

"I hope he gets the help he needs," Jackson said. "But the culture that's producing this kind of animosity toward blacks must be addressed … We're increasingly facing cultural isolation in Hollywood, in the movies and in TV."

Remorse and confusion

Jackson said Richards expressed both remorse and confusion during the phone call.

"He's embarrassed. He got caught on tape. That's a big part of his anxiety now," Jackson said.

Richards's rant against black hecklers, which included the use of a racial slur, was aired on internet site TMZ.com.

"We have to evaluate the use of the n-word and categorize it as hate speech, no matter who uses it," Jackson said.

Sharpton could not be reached for comment.

Rubenstein, who said he has been involved with the African-American community for 25 years, dismissed reports about anti-Semitic remarks by Richards.

"He's Jewish. He's not anti-Semitic at all. He was role-playing, he was playing a part," Rubenstein said.

Richards also took widespread criticism from other standup comedians, who said he should have better control of his reaction to hecklers, who are part of any comedian's lot.