Red Cross Apologizes for Safety Poster Decried as Racist

The American Red Cross has issued a mea culpa for a poster it produced promoting pool safety that drew online criticism over its depiction of children of different races, CNN reports.

The poster, titled “Be Cool, Follow the Rules,” shows cartoon children in and around a crowded pool. Red arrows labeled “Not Cool” point out misbehavior such as running or pushing kids into the water, most of it committed by children of color. The two children shown via green arrows to be “Cool” are white. A Twitter user posted the image online after spotting the poster at a public pool in Salida, Colo.

The Red Cross removed the poster from its website and asked aquatic facilities displaying it to take it down. “We deeply apologize for any misunderstanding, as it was absolutely not our intent to offend anyone,” the charity said in an online statement. “As one of the nation’s oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do, every day.”