Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are under fire after making a joke at a fundraising dinner that played off a negative stereotype of black Americans.

Appearing at the annual Inner Circle charity dinner, the Democratic presidential front-runner appeared in a sketch with Mr de Blasio, along with Hamilton actor Leslie Odom Jr., where she thanked him for his admittedly late endorsement.

“Thanks for the endorsement, Bill.” Ms Clinton said to cheers. “Took you long enough.”

“Sorry, Hillary. I was running on CP time,” Mr de Blasio responded to groans from the audience. One member can be heard in the video yelling, “No.”

“CP time” is shorthand for the phrase, “coloured people’s time,” which refers to the negative stereotype that black Americans are often running late.

Mr Odom, who is black, responded in character: “I don’t like jokes like that, Bill. That’s not appropriate.”

Ms Clinton clarified that “CP” actually stood for “cautious politician,” not the more commonly used racial stereotype.

Hillary Clinton in quotes Show all 11 1 /11 Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton After losing the 2016 election: 'To all of the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.' Getty Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On running for President in 2016: 'I'm going to decide when it feels right for me to decide. ... certainly not before then [the end of 2014].' AP Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On the Monica Lewinsky affair: 'It’s liberating to be able to reach the point in your life where you feel you can forgive. Everybody feels they have been trespassed upon and nearly everybody has trespassed on somebody else, maybe not intentionally.' Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On news and hair: 'If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On being asked which fashion designers she preferred: 'Would you ever ask a man that question?' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On equality: 'Well I'm very conscious of how important it is for us to shatter that glass ceiling in my country. A country that has done so much for so many women and really has set the standard for women's rights and responsibilities, and I do want to see that glass ceiling shattered.' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On not winning in 2008: 'I think because I really didn't have a good strategy for my campaign. I didn't plan it the right way. ... As a candidate who was already so well known ... I don't think I ever said, 'Yes, you may have known me for eight years, but I don't take anything for granted. I have to earn your support.' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On self-confidence 'You have to be true to yourself. You have to be enough in touch with who you are and what you want, how you want to live and what's important to you, to make your decisions based on that. Sometimes that's very difficult.' AP Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On 9/11: 'Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price.' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On women around the world: 'If women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations will flourish.' Getty Images Hillary Clinton in quotes Hillary Clinton On her political life: ‘I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life.’ Getty Images

Ms Clinton has been under scrutiny when it comes to race in recent weeks. Critics of the former Secretary of State accuse her of being a key advocate of the 1994 Crime Bill passed by President Bill Clinton that led to the mass incarceration of countless black people.

On Thursday, responding to such criticisms from Black Lives Matter activists, Mr Clinton appeared to lose his temper and accused the protesters of supporting murderers and drug dealers.