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Waiting Like Everyone Else
The man in our story is Emmit. Just like every other passenger, he was patiently waiting in line. As we all know, it takes quite some time due to security protocols. But all of a sudden, a woman approached him. According to her, Emmit should allow her to skip his place in the line. Why? The lady said she had priority seating. That’s reasonable. However, she missed one essential detail: Emmit was also in priority seating. But then it clicked. This woman assumed Emmit’s seating area based on his skin color. As an African-American, this was ridiculous. But he responded in the best way possible.
Going Viral on Facebook
Emmit remained calm throughout the whole situation. As soon as it was over, others began cheering for him. This was proof that he was doing the right thing. Thus, he felt it was okay to write about it online. The music executive knew that his friends would get a good laugh at what happened. However, he didn’t expect his story to resonate so well with so many people. He was still on the plane when his FB post got viral. And when he got out of the airport, more people were applauding him.
A Load of Airline Issues
There’s nothing wrong with admitting the truth about airports. If you want to stay calm, this isn’t where you should be. Airports will test your patience. Some lose their luggage and have their trips ruined from the get-go. And let’s not even talk about the tiresome security procedures. Moreover, the meals haven’t improved. Airline companies have reduced the perks a typical passenger has. But if you pay a little more, you could have a better experience. That’s the case with Emmit who opted for priority seating.
Worth the Premium Ticket
The data backs up what many passengers have felt recently. If you’re paying for economy class, you will have a bad time trying to get comfy. On the other hand, those in the first class have a lot to enjoy. Aside from the additional space, you also get priority seating. This is terrific for those who don’t want to wait too long. Emmit was one of those people — and he was willing to pay for it. A first-class ticket will likely improve his flight experience.
An Unwarranted Interruption
Emmit didn’t expect anything odd to happen. But while he was waiting to pass through security, a lady came over. She wanted to go past him in the line. Well, Emmit got confused. He had priority seating, so why is she in such a hurry? And why did she pick him to get ahead of? It didn’t take long before Emmit realized what was happening. The woman judged him by his looks. She was white while he was African-American. She must’ve been one of those people who still feel superior just because of their color.
Because of His Appearance
The woman may have also judged him for other reasons. Emmit was a black man, but he was also quite big. Thus, it made perfect sense why he would prefer the more sizable seating for first-class passengers. But the woman probably thought his size was indicative of his financial conditions. In truth, he was a successful music executive. He’s earned quite enough money from many projects to afford a first-class ticket. If the woman thought his choice of clothing was bad, that was her problem. It wasn’t indicative of his socioeconomic position.
A Celebration Ahead
Emmit didn’t need this trouble. After all, he was preparing for his highly anticipated birthday vacation. He was going to the Dominican Republic. First, he had to reach the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. After that, he was on his way to paradise. It was a conscious decision for him to leave early. He still had a full day before his birthday. After all the planning, he found the perfect flight. This was his opportunity to relax after all his hard work. He wasn’t going to let a disrespectful woman ruin his day.
Remembering Her Words
He’ll never forget what she said: “Excuse me. I believe you may be in the wrong place, you need to let us through.” This alone was insensitive. But then she said: “This line is for priority booking.” At this point, Emmit understood the situation. He looked at her and asked: “Priority meaning first-class, correct?” He was being polite. But the lady was in a rush and said: “Yes. Now excuse me. They will call y’all after we board.” She didn’t even wait for him to say that he was in first class as well. She just assumed his seating based on his looks.
Calming Her Down
Emmit didn’t have to go anywhere. He was right where he should be. And so he replied: “You can relax, ma’am.” He wanted nothing but for both of them to calm down. Things could be handled properly. Thus, the music executive told her that he wasn’t in the wrong area. He was there earlier, so he had all the right in the world to stay ahead of her. In case she was skeptical, he also revealed his first-class ticket. Yet things were still not over.
Another Baseless Assumption
The woman wasn’t giving up. She was appalled at how she was blocked from doing what she wanted. Emmit remembered her saying: “He must be military or something.” She then told her friends: “But we paid for our seats so he still should have to wait.” It was ridiculous. She couldn’t believe that a black man with a large build could afford a first-class ticket. What world was she living in? It was as if she lived in a bubble where people of color were unlikely to build wealth.
A Confirmation from the Military
Remember: Emmit posted about the whole thing on Facebook. And that paid off. Someone who was in the military clarified the whole first-class issue. He said: “I’m prior military and I’m offended.” The truth was that people in the military don’t get free first-class plane tickets. Thus, it didn’t make sense for the woman to think Emmit was in the military. Military personnel doesn’t have that kind of perk anyway. The commenter continued: “Heck, they gave us economy seats. These racists are bold!”
Emmit Had to Respond
So when Emmit heard her lousy assumption, he responded: “Nope. Too big to be in anybody’s military.” But he wasn’t done. He wanted her to realize that he knew what she was thinking. He said that he was a “black man with money.” Emmit wasn’t entirely sure that she was judging him based on his color. But what else could it have been about? If he was a white male, this likely wouldn’t have happened. He didn’t want her to feel ashamed in public, but what else was there to do?
Gathering All the Support
At first, Emmit was glad that people caught their attention. After his response, people started clapping for him. For them, he was standing up for what was right. He wasn’t going to let someone trample over his rights. But why did they react that way? As we’ve said before, airports aren’t ideal for relaxation. You’ll come across many people who are either impatient or intolerant — or both. Emmit was admirable because he didn’t “fight” back with racist notions as well. Instead, he was calm and proved to her that he was in the right area.
Going Back to Facebook
One should never underestimate the power of social media. It didn’t take long for Emmit’s post to reach people across the globe. It only took 48 hours for the post to have more than 250,000 shares. As time passed, the FB post swelled to more than 300,000 shares. Moreover, it had more than 800,000 reactions. He was getting praise from people he didn’t even know. One commenter said: “The power of an educated man with patience.”
More Social Media Comments
As expected, the online world couldn’t stop sharing its opinions. An individual commented: “Never judge a book by its cover.” And they were right. People shouldn’t judge people based on their color or clothing. Of course, there were also comments directed to the woman. She got many people irritated. One person said: “She is so ignorant it makes no sense that people like her still exist.” Still, the commenter was proud of Emmit, saying: “Enjoy yourself, you handled it well.” Yet Emmit wasn’t feeling entirely happy.
A Time for Reflection
If he posted a simple meme and it went viral, he would’ve been elated. But his viral post was about a variety of things: tolerance, racism, and patience. With the online reception he got, he began wondering. Did he do the right thing? Emmit still acknowledged that the woman wasn’t kind to him. But he also realized that something was wrong. He said in another post: “This racist stuff is definitely an issue but this is not the solution to that issue.”
Seeking Forgiveness
As he had his vacation in the Dominican Republic, he wrote a Facebook update. Here, he was saying sorry to the lady. He wrote: “It brings me no joy waking up in paradise.” He was supposed to celebrate his 37th birthday. But his post made another person feel ashamed in front of the entire world. Furthermore, he verified that the story was true. He claimed: “The story was definitely real, just like this issue is definitely real.” However, he now knew that his actions weren’t ideal. He continued: “But I now know that I… should have handled it another way, or left it how it was, and not shared it publicly.”
More Bad Than Good
Emmit couldn’t predict the effects of his Facebook post. He wanted others to know that people can gently handle racism. But the viral post itself was leading to bad consequences. Plus, he didn’t need to post about it online anyway. He saw that some comments on his post were racist. Thus, it led to other people feeling attacked based on their skin color. Others reported these racist remarks, but it proved how toxic the situation had been. Emmit had to step up and change his approach.
Trying to Do Better
Thus, Emmit told everyone about his realizations. He stated: “When dealing with people, I always try to stay on the side of right.” Then he continued: “So to make sure I never do anything wrong, I try to always put myself in that person’s shoes, and ask how would I feel if that person did this to me.” In other words, he was trying to empathize with others. “And if I was her this morning, I would be a total wreck today, and that doesn’t help this situation, or her.” He was right. Emmit went on: “It only makes them more angry (sic), and brings more drama.”
Making Everyone Understand
Emmit knew that some people wouldn’t pay much attention to his post. So he wrote the following words in capital letters: “SO I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN TO THE WOMAN I HAD THIS ENCOUNTER WITH YESTERDAY. NO MATTER HOW WRONG YOUR ACTIONS YOU DON’T DESERVE THIS.” He was sincerely looking for forgiveness. He even tagged other people so that they could share it as well. Emmit ended this post with the following: “I BELIEVE IF YOU CAN’T HELP NOBODY AT THE VERY LEAST YOU SHOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT THEM.”
Sending a Video
Emmit thought that the Facebook post wasn’t enough. So he took a short video of him after his flight. He once again expressed his regret and realizations. Moreover, he clarified that he didn’t know that his post would get that viral. He said that he often just had around five people seeing his posts. The music executive didn’t need this attention. In contrast, he didn’t want anyone to bug him. That was the point of his vacation anyway. Once again, he said: “I want to take the time to publicly apologize to the lady in the picture.”
Hoping for A Better Society
Most people didn’t think Emmit did anything wrong. They supported his response to the woman. But he knew that he wasn’t doing his best. He did show that racism is still around at this age. But his viral post doesn’t significantly solve racism around the world. The biggest outcome was that he caused the utter humiliation of one woman. Likewise, the comments section began filling up with more racist comments and irritated people. This wasn’t building bridges between people.
A Lesson for Everyone
Emmit did what he could to address the viral issue. But it seemed that the woman has suffered the online hate. As of now, he hasn’t said any updates about it. Thus, the woman either hasn’t seen his apology post — or she doesn’t want to talk to him. This was a bad ending for everyone. In the end, this “small” incident highlights big issues. First, it reveals the need for communication. We must respectfully approach each other. Second, it exposed the dangers of social media. The platform can help educate people about racism, but it can also lead to angry mobs. If Emmit experiences the same issue at the airport, he won’t publicly share it online anymore.
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