▁several ▁question able ▁comments ▁about ▁African ▁Americans ▁during ▁a ▁l unch time ▁interview ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁with ▁Ed ▁H otal ing , ▁a ▁producer - re porter ▁for ▁N BC - owned ▁W RC - TV , ▁at ▁Duke ▁Ze i bert ' s ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁restaurant . ▁H otal ing ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁doing ▁inter views ▁with ▁various ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁restaurant ▁for ▁a ▁program ▁celebr ating ▁the ▁birth day ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁and ▁what ▁they ▁thought ▁the ▁next ▁step ▁in ▁civil ▁rights ▁progress ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁should ▁be . ▁He ▁put ▁the ▁question ▁to ▁S ny der . ▁" It ▁was ▁all ▁on ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ' s ▁birth day ," ▁H otal ing ▁said . ▁" So ▁I ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁appropriate , ▁forward - looking ▁question , ▁and ▁got ▁a ▁back ward - looking ▁answer ." ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁S ny der ' s ▁more ▁controvers ial ▁responses ▁to ▁the ▁question ▁was ▁that ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁naturally - super ior ▁athlet es ▁at ▁least ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁b red ▁to ▁produce ▁stronger ▁off spring ▁during ▁sla very : ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁ob itu ary , ▁S ny der ▁expressed ▁regret ▁for ▁his ▁comments : ▁" What ▁a ▁fool ish ▁thing ▁to ▁say ." ▁His ▁CBS ▁cow ork ers ▁public ly ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁agree ▁with ▁S ny der '