Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Comedian Larry Wilmore's use of a racial slur in comedy remarks about President Obama on Saturday has drawn controversy from civil rights activists — but not from Obama himself.

Obama told aides Monday that he "appreciated the spirit" in which Wilmore used the N-word at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which came after an observation about how far the country had come on racial attitudes during his lifetime.

"When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback," said the Comedy Central host. "Now think about that. A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team — and now, to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world."

"Words alone do me no justice. So, Mr. President, if i’m going to keep it 100: Yo, Barry, you did it, my n—a. You did it."

Larry Wilmore's best jokes from the White House Correspondents' Dinner

After the dinner, the Rev. Al Sharpton told theLos Angeles Times that there's no context where that word is appropriate. "But to say that to the President of the United States in front of the top people in media was at best in poor taste," he said.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest noted it wasn't the first time jokes on Saturday night would be second-guessed on Monday, citing Stephen Colbert in 2006 and Wanda Sykes in 2009.

Earnest said the White House had no advance notice of Wilmore's monologue. "Any comedian who signed up to follow President Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is assuming one of the most difficult tasks in comedy, just by the nature of the engagement," he said. "I'm confident that Mr. Wilmore used the word by design. He was seeking to be provocative."

Earnest said he had spoken to Obama personally about the joke Monday morning, "He said that he appreciated the spirit of the sentiments that Mr. Wilmore expressed," Earnest said. "I take Mr. Wilmore at this words that he found that to be a powerful transformation just in his lifetime, and something he seemed to be pretty obviously proud of."