In late December, The Dallas Morning News published an editorial decrying Richard Spencer's "noxious" and "sickening" influence on public life. This was not a new position. It was the third time in 13 months that we had condemned the Texas-raised white supremacist.

But to many readers, the most recent Spencer editorial felt different because of the context. It cited his “uncommon negative impact” on Texas in 2017 — and named him a finalist for Texan of the Year because of it.

An editor’s job is to make judgment calls. This is one I’d like to have back.

That such a person could be a Texan of the Year nominee confused, hurt and infuriated a lot of people.

It didn't matter our rules have always said a person can be nominated for having a positive or negative impact. It didn't help that we used negative language in our headlines and social media posts about Spencer. Many readers saw our revulsion for him but still objected to the nomination.

Texan of the Year, they said, carries a positive connotation no matter what disclaimers we make. Besides, our original posts were quickly shared without the necessary context.

On our Facebook page, reader Brittany Gates nominated us for the “Worst Idea of the Year ... for even considering giving a positively named award to a white supremacist.”

Some readers wondered if we were trying to convey a hidden meaning by nominating Spencer. Others said the designation made him seem normal, and that he would use it to his public relations advantage.

Many argued that Spencer's presence on the list tended to diminish those who made positive contributions, including author Attica Locke, Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve and House Speaker Joe Straus, our eventual Texan of the Year.

When you aim for clarity and end up sowing confusion and anger instead, you’ve had a bad day. In 2018, we’ll be rethinking the Texan of the Year project to eliminate this kind of misunderstanding.

All of this comes at a time when we are working to foster unity in North Texas. After the violence of July 7, 2016, The News helped organize Actions Speak Louder, public conversations aimed at promoting interracial understanding. For three years (2018 will be the fourth), we've co-sponsored the Dallas Festival of Ideas, which aims to improve life for everyone in our city.

The editorial board continues to expose inequity in southern Dallas and recently returned to its series on the working poor.

Our news reporters have been focusing on issues of race and equity, notably in a project called Questions of Color.

Some readers saw the Spencer nomination and wondered if we are sincere about the other work we are doing. This column is an effort to show we are.