A Black woman sitting next to a racist man on an airplane confronts him midflight: ‘I think you’re disgusting’
Talia #Talia
A travel content creator has gone viral after confronting a racist man next to her midflight.
On May 27, Talia (@talia.thecreator) took to the digital platform to share a series of videos in which she’s seen confronting and then continuing to sit next to a racist white man on her flight from Puerto Rico to Atlanta that week.
Talia’s first video, which has more than 15.3 million views, 3 million likes, 15,000 comments and 124,900 saves, shows her choosing to “confront the racist” sitting next to her.
“You know what, I wasn’t gonna say anything … but I decided I wanted you to feel as uncomfortable as I do, and I want you to know that I saw your text messages, and I think you’re disgusting,” she says.
The man then asks, “What text message?” to which Talia replies, “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not gonna repeat it ’cause everyone doesn’t need to know, but I want you to know that I know. I saw you and I think that you’re disgusting.”
“You don’t have anything to say to that, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so,” Talia says, as the man gives an inaudible response. “And speaking of airlines weeding people out, maybe if they raise prices you would be able to afford to sit with your family, that way they don’t have to sit next to Black people. OK?”
After the man says “I’m sorry,” Talia tells him he doesn’t have to be sorry to her.
“You’re sorry because I saw it, but I want you to feel as uncomfortable as I do sitting next to you,” she says.
Fellow content creators took to Talia’s comments to praise her for her bravery. Many acknowledged just how terrifying it can be to confront someone, let alone do so and continue to sit next to them for the duration of a flight.
“The shaking … I can feel you through this video!!! So proud. So brave. So honorable!” @imanih0 replied.
“I’m proud of you and don’t even know you. I know the back and forth with yourself on this was hard and you did that!!” @gorrjessss wrote.
“I know your heart was beating saying this … but you stood up through it! Proud beyond proud,” @nicolerbanks responded.
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Not every comment was supportive, though. TikTok user @TXSM9999 replied, “What the f*** we can’t even send texts to our family about how unpleasant you people are??? Wtf.”
Talia posted another video that same day, in which the man’s text messages in question can be seen. In the 14-second clip, Talia’s seat mate sent messages to his mother, “Hopefully the airline will continue to raise prices and weed out these people. … Ryan is sitting next to a huge black woman.”
“This comment is exactly why I did what I did,” Talia wrote alongside the video. “I started recording after reading more than one racist/homophobic remark. … At this point the text was for me.”
Talia shared a video following the confrontation. The man is seen with his body angled away from her. “Lol I wish this was the entire time, this was just the end of the flight,” Talia replied to a commenter.
Despite her feeling uncomfortable and likely nervous to speak her mind to a man who was making blatantly racist remarks about her, Talia’s courage is something to aspire to.
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