MSNBC's Melissa Harris

MSNBC

Melissa Harris-Perry struggled to hold back the waterworks on Saturday while apologizing on-air for her segment on Mitt Romney's adopted black grandson.

The MSNBC host found herself in hot water earlier this week after showcasing a picture of Mitt Romney holding little Kieran Romney in his lap during a family photo. Harris-Perry later claimed that the segment was meant to be a celebration of diversity, but guests on her show made jokes about how different the African American child looked from his cousins.

Harris-Perry used the first few minutes of her Saturday morning show to speak directly to her audience about the incident.

'Whatever the intent was, the reality is that the segment proceeded in a way that was offensive, and showing the photo in that context, that segment, was poor judgment,' Harris-Perry said. 'So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family.'

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As she continued, her voice cracked and Harris-Perry fought to regain composure.

'Adults who enter into public life implicitly consent to having less privacy, but their families, especially their children, should not be treated callously or thoughtlessly. My intention was not malicious, but I broke the ground rule that families are off-limits. For that, I am sorry,' she said.

But it may be some more time until the furor dies down. Sarah Palinslammed the 'lamestream media' for discrimination. Mitt Romney is expected to speak about the controversy on Fox News Sunday, according to Mediaite.

In earlier tweeted apologies, Harris-Perry referred back to her own diverse roots. Her dad is an African American, while her mom is White and a Mormon. Much of Harris-Perry's academic career has been devoted to questions about the African American identity and the challenges that black Americans face.

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So some viewers were shocked when Pia Glenn, one of the panelists on Sunday's show, sang 'One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn't the same' when Kieran's photo came on air. Comedian Dean Obeidallah said, 'I think this picture is great. It really sums up the diversity of the Republican party, the RNC. At the convention, they find the one black person.'

Harris-Perry's kept the levity going by wondering what it would look like if Kieran married North West, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter.

During her Saturday show, Harris-Perry apologized for suggesting that 'interracial families are in any way funny, or deserving of ridicule.'

'On this program, we are dedicated to advocating for a wide diversity of families, it is one of our core principles. And I am reminded that when we do so, it must be with the utmost respect. We're genuinely appreciative of everyone who offered serious criticisms of last Sunday's program, and I am reminded that our fiercest critics can sometimes be our best teachers,' she said.

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