Endicott Mayor Linda Jackson and and Deputy Mayor Cheryl Chapman issued a joint apology Friday evening — following over a week of backlash and calls for their resignation — due to controversy over “white lives matter” Facebook posts.

“It was a genuine mistake with no intent to promote racism through a post shared with us and no knowledge of its origins,” the statement reads. “We have listened and learned.”

In the statement, Chapman and Jackson said they sought advice from community groups and educators with experience in diversity and anti-racism education. This includes signing up for a series of workshops facilitated by Dr. Marguerite Wilson, an Assistant Professor of Human Development at Binghamton University, and Lawrence Parham, a longtime community organizer, anti-racism educator, and CEO of CARES Advocates for Families, Inc.