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Racist Woman Refuses to Let 9-Year-Old Into a Birthday Party - Years Later, an Empty Chair Teaches an Important Lesson
Everyday Heroes

Racist Woman Refuses to Let 9-Year-Old Into a Birthday Party - Years Later, an Empty Chair Teaches an Important Lesson

Every day for fifty-three years, Dan Gill has stood in front of a classroom of students. His room is full and yet, one chair always remains empty. It sits front and center, a poignant reminder of an injustice that happened long ago. One that ended up defining his life and is now, shaping the lives of generations of students. And while the chair may be empty, it holds an invaluable lesson in inclusion. A 9-Year-Old Comes Face-To-Face With the Ugliness of RacismIt was 1956 when Gill (white) and his best friend Archie Shaw (Black) excitedly knocked on the door of their friend's New York apartment. They were there for his birthday party but when the friend's mother opened the door, she informed them that she only had one available chair.Confused, Gill told her that he could sit on the floor. "No, you don't understand," she responded. "There are no more chairs." And that's when it hit him. He was welcome but Archie wasn't."I can still see this woman's face," Gill told the Washington Post. "I felt so bad because he had been humiliated. We gave her the presents and I said we're going to go to my house, where there are plenty of chairs."The boys left, sobbing.It's a moment that's stayed with him for more than 65 years.The Empty Chair Fast forward to 1970. Gill started teaching social studies with the Montclair School District. The Vietnam War was raging and the civil rights movement had come to an end after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.But Gill wasn't done fighting. He was instrumental in helping to desegregate the Montclair public schools and every year, on Martin Luther King Jr. day, he would tell his story about Archie and the birthday party to his students.Sometime in the 1980s, Gill decided he needed to do more. He wanted to honor his childhood friend every day of the year. And that's when he got the idea for the empty chair. "Kids work well with symbols," Gill told CBS News. "It's a reminder that they can do better — better academically, socially, and emotionally — but also to make people feel welcome and make this a better place to live."Over the years, hundreds of students have sat in Gill's classroom and while they may not remember all of his lessons, they always remember the empty chair.Gill retired in 2023 after 53 years of teaching. At the time, he was 75 years old. A Legacy Lives OnSadly, the two friends lost touch after elementary school, and last year, Gill learned that Archie passed away in 2021. However, his legacy will live on. Gill is currently writing a picture book, "No More Chairs," that is being published by Little and Brown in 2025. He plans to dedicate it to Archie. Our lives are made up of a series of moments. Many we forget, but some live with us forever, shaping us and defining who we become. For veteran teacher Dan Gill, that moment happened in the doorway of a New York City apartment when he was just nine years old.He credits it for why he became a teacher and why it's so important to him to share Archie's story with the world. "Not all of us can become president, not all of us can become senators, but if all of us do our due diligence in how we treat other people, then this will be a better world." Dan GillNo one should ever have to experience the humiliation and heartache that Archie did that day. And while society has seemingly come a long way, we still have a long way to go when it comes to racial equality. It's up to all of us to make the people around us feel welcome, included, and accepted.After all, everyone deserves a seat...literally and otherwise.More from Goalcast: Man Sees a Couple Staring at Him and His Son at Cracker Barrel – He Finds Out Why in the Note They Give Him Racist Clerk Makes 10-Year-Old Boy Cry – When His Father Finds Out, He Decides to Confront Him Black Woman Sits Next to Man Sending Racist Texts About Her to His Family – Her Reaction Has Everyone Applauding

'You Can’t Speak Spanish Here' - Woman Overhears Attack And Steps In With Best Response
Uplifting News

'You Can’t Speak Spanish Here' - Woman Overhears Attack And Steps In With Best Response

Would you stand up against racism if you saw it happening in real-time?Harassed for speaking SpanishKamira Trent was shopping at a Colorado grocery store when she overheard a conflict happening in the next aisle over.She told Buzzfeed in 2018 that she overheard a woman say, "You're in America. You're in my country. You can't speak Spanish here. You need to speak English if you're going to be in America."When Trent went to the next aisle to check it out, she saw what was going on — two Spanish-speaking women from Mexico, Fabiola Velasquez and Isabel Marin, were being harassed by a white woman, Linda Dwire. So, Trent decided to react."I'm calling the cops. You leave these women alone! Get out!"Kamira Trent yelled at Linda DwireFighting back against racismBut Dwire wouldn't leave so easily. She turned her anger towards Trent, saying, "You come from a generation that's destroying this country.""No I do not. I have respect. You do not harass people," Trent responded."You will lose your country," Dwire said in a video of the incident that went viral on Twitter when it was posted in 2018. "You know what, you will lose this country."Police were called to the scene and Dwire was arrested for harassing the Spanish women. Not the first time the harasser did thisIn interviews following the altercation, Dwire admitted that she's done this kind of thing before when she's heard Spanish in public, and of course, she doesn't think she's racist."It has nothing to do with race. It’s a patriotic thing," Dwire told Buzzfeed. "When people come to my country, they need to love it enough to speak English.""They'd rather have their country here. I don’t mind them coming here as long as they want to be an American and not go on our welfare system," she added. "When there are so many people that they don’t learn English, that’s what divides our country."But in a separate interview, Velasquez, who was one of the Spanish women at the grocery store, disagreed. "If she wasn't racist, she wouldn't care what language we would speak," Velasquez said. "It baffles me because I don't understand what concept they have about us [immigrants]. What are we trying to take away from them exactly?"Using privilege for goodIn a Facebook post, Velasquez said she never thought this kind of harassment would happen to her, but she was grateful that Trent used her privilege to help."Thanks to another girl (that we didn't know) she defended us and called the cops," Velasquez said. "I always saw these videos on social media and I would get angry and today, it was my turn. I can say that I felt a great feeling of helplessness.""It felt good to see someone who was born here defend us that way," Velasquez added.Trent, who was praised online for helping the Spanish women, said that anyone in a similar situation should do the same."Stand up and say something. Letting that happen is really what's wrong with our country."Kamira TrentFighting racism is everyone's jobDiscrimination is all around us, and we can't just stand by and do nothing. This isn't to say victims of racism need white saviors — they don't. But using one's privilege to help others is a great way to help create a more equal society, and that's exactly what we saw here. What other, perhaps more subtle, ways we can fight discrimination in our society?More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Woman Gets Accused Of Trafficking Adoptive Little Sister, What Happens Next Is Shocking
Uplifting News

Woman Gets Accused Of Trafficking Adoptive Little Sister, What Happens Next Is Shocking

A couple of sisters went on a trip together — nothing suspicious there. But when an airline passenger suspected human trafficking, it led to an embarrassing — and unfair — experience for the girls.They were falsely accusedLakeyjanay Bailey, 21, was traveling on a flight from Denver to Dallas with her sister Olivia, 4. Olivia had been adopted by Lakeyjanay's mom, a social worker, which explains the difference in their skin color (Lakeyjanay is Black, while Olivia is white).As soon as the two arrived at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the trip immediately transformed from a pleasant one to a humiliating experience. At the gate, authorities were waiting for them as soon as they got off the plane due to an accusation on board the flight of child trafficking."There were two police officers, and they came up to me and said, 'Is it okay if we talk to you?'" Bailey told Denver 7.Authorities turned to the 4-year-old, asking her a series of questions including if she knows what Lakeyjanay is to her and asked what their mother was to her.The officers called the girls' mother on the phone and accompanied them to baggage claim before questioning the person that picked them up. "The whole time they were talking with us, people kept staring at us, whispering and stuff," Bailey said.Race may have played a factorFrontier Airlines said in a statement to Denver 7 that it called law enforcement after someone on board the flight suspected that Lakeyjanay was trafficking Olivia. "That passenger approached the flight crew with those concerns and subsequently completed a written report during the flight to document her observations. The captain was notified and felt an obligation to report the matter. Air travel is one of the most common means for human trafficking," the statement read.Frontier Airlines concluded its statement by saying, "Race played no part in the actions of the flight crew who were following established protocols."But Lakeyjanay felt otherwise. She said if skin colors were reversed between her and her sister, she wouldn't have been questioned."If the roles were changed and it was a white person walking off the plane with a Black person, like a Black child, I feel like things would be different," Bailey said.According to Denver 7, the girls and their family are considering a lawsuit against Frontier Airlines.Reflect on potential racial bias before accusing anyoneKeeping an eye out for suspicious activity and reporting it is important — it may have saved two teenagers from child trafficking, for instance. But we also have to keep in mind how racism may be clouding our suspicion.In this case, the accusation flung at a Black woman led to a humiliating experience with police, something that Black women, unfortunately, face far too often. So take this as a reminder to keep an eye out for illegal activity, but to do the necessary self-reflection beforehand to make sure that what you're doing isn't influenced by racial bias.More uplifting stories:For 4 Years, He Thought His Neighbor Ignored Him Because Of How He Looked–Turns Out He Had It All WrongSingle Dad Adopts 13-Year-Old After He’s Abandoned At HospitalIn 1924, Their Land Was Taken Cause They Were Black – Today, Justice Was ServedMan Writes Touching Note To Hospital Staff Who Saved His Wife’s Life

Cop Accuses Black Women Of Shoplifting At TJMaxx, Instantly Regrets It
Uplifting News

Cop Accuses Black Women Of Shoplifting At TJMaxx, Instantly Regrets It

After spending nearly $300 at TJ Maxx, two women returned their items and vowed never to shop at the store again when a plainclothes police officer accused them of shoplifting without any evidence.The women were wrongly accusedIn a series of TikTok videos that now have millions of views, two women were stopped from leaving a TJ Maxx by a plainclothes cop who accused them of shoplifting. “He gonna stop us outside and say somebody called on us that we were suspicious,” one of the women said, as reported by The Daily Dot. “So I came back in with my receipts and everything on it that I bought my sh*t. Why would I steal from T.J. Maxx?”Inside the store, a cashier checked to see that all the items were on receipts, and determined that, yes, they all were.“I walked out of a store after paying my money I worked hard for, and you stopped me,” one woman says in the video, adding that they spent nearly $300 at the store. Defending his story, the white copy said a Black employee from the store had tipped him off, but couldn't identify who that was. He then tried to question why they have multiple receipts, but another man ridiculed this assertion, saying that it is perfectly legal, and understandable, to have multiple receipts for multiple purchases in one bag. “You know what? Return it all,” one woman says. “We don’t want sh*t.”Shopping while BlackAs the women were vindicated by the cashier, the cop said “if there’s no problem then there’s no problem."But for the women, this was not a ridiculous thing to say. They explained how embarrassing it is to be publically accused of shoplifting, and said that they were stopped because they're Black.According to a study out of New York called "Shopping while Black," their feelings are shared as 80% of Black people surveyed said they've experienced racial stigmas and stereotypes while shopping.“We Black. We suspicious,” one of the women says in the video while leaving the store.Against company protocolIn a third and final video, one woman vows never to shop at TJ Maxx again.“Gillette got no Black people going to jail today that got my last name on it,” she said. “Racial profiling—this is what this is, and we returned every f*cking thing. They’ll never see me again.”In the comments, TikTok users called out how wrong the cop was for stopping them after they left the store and said they should considering suing the company."Y'all have every right to be angry. That is humiliating especially when you work hard for your money. Hope y'all get compensated somehow," said one comment.A spokesperson for TJ Maxx told The Daily Dot they "are extremely disappointed and saddened that this occurred in our store."“We can confirm that the plainclothes detective and police officers seen on this video do not work for our company, and that the Associates working in our store did not initiate these actions. Involvement from our Associates was at the direct request of law enforcement,” they said.Stop racial profilingThe cop's thinking is clear here. As long as the women are proven innocent, then accusing them of shoplifting is no big deal, right?Wrong. Being accused of shoplifting is embarrassing, as is being pulled over for no good reason other than looking a certain way. This deep-seated racism needs to be reflected on and addressed because it is not acceptable to treat people this way. Props to those women for taking this video in the moment and helping to expose the ugly face of racial profiling.More uplifting stories:For 4 Years, He Thought His Neighbor Ignored Him Because Of How He Looked–Turns Out He Had It All WrongSingle Dad Adopts 13-Year-Old After He’s Abandoned At HospitalWoman Marries Man Who Saved Her Life At The Vegas Mass ShootingMan Writes Touching Note To Hospital Staff Who Saved His Wife’s Life

‘She’s White. Is That OK?’ - Couple Adopts Abandoned Girl Despite Race Stereotypes
Uplifting News

‘She’s White. Is That OK?’ - Couple Adopts Abandoned Girl Despite Race Stereotypes

After several years of trying to get pregnant, a couple had the chance to foster a child — and there's no way they were going to be picky about it.Hesitant to fosterCouple Tierra and Patrick Hamm started dating at 18 and from early on they knew they wanted a big family. Tierra was one of six children and Patrick was an only child.But after trying for several years, they weren't successful. They saw a specialist and tried intrauterine insemination (IUI) to no avail. Tierra was hesitant about fostering a child, but as soon as she talked to someone who did it she was "100 percent on board."In a touching personal essay written for InspireMore, Tierra revealed what that fostering journey was like. A life-changing phone callJust a month after becoming licensed foster parents, Tierra and Patrick got a call that would change their life. There was a sweet little 15-month old named Felicity who needed relocation because the previous foster mom was going back to school. "The social worker on the phone said, ‘She’s very shy and she has attachment issues," Tierra wrote. "She paused for a second and then said, ‘She’s white. Is that okay?""Without hesitating, my husband said, ‘She needs a home, right? Her race is not relevant."Tierra HammThe very next day, Tierra and Patrick went to pick up baby Felicity, but she cried for 24 hours. Tierra thought about giving up, but soon, though, the baby was calling her parents "Mommy" and "Daddy." Felicity was so happy, that the birth mother eventually relinquished custody. "That was the most bittersweet feeling, to know a mother loved her kids so much, she was willing to sign that part of her life away," Tierra wrote. "I am forever grateful for her and her sacrifice."Their second foster baby had drug dependency.Nine months later, the Hamms opened themselves up to another foster child and didn't have to wait long for a phone call from the placement help desk."So, you and Patrick are open to taking infants, right?’ I said, ‘Absolutely!’ He responded, ‘How would you like to take in a five-day-old? He is in the hospital right now because he is premature but he will be ready to go home in a couple of days.’ I said, ‘Oh my gosh, yes!"But the baby, Sam, was in hospital for over a month on a feeding tube due to drug dependency. Still, the family perservered and baby Sam also ended up getting adopted by the Hamms.Sometimes the neighbors stareSeven weeks later, Sam's birth mother said she had another baby on the way and wondered if the Hamms would take him. They agreed and both ended up being adopted by the parents.Now, they have three children all under two."Our skin may not match, but you cannot tell me or my kids we aren’t a family," Tierra wrote. "We live in a predominately white community and we have not faced any hardships or racism, which I am so thankful for. Families do not have to match. As our kids get older, we are discussing race/color more and more. The kids know our skin is different but it doesn’t matter to them. Though we haven’t faced racism, we do get the stares, especially when the kids are yelling ‘mommy and daddy.’""Families like ours are rare, but we are out there and we do exist.”Tierra HammA modern familyWow, what a turnaround for the Hamms! For years, they couldn't have the big family they wanted and then all of a sudden they had three kids. It's unfortunate that they still get awkward stares from neighbors, but for the most part, this happy, modern family seems to be getting on just fine. You can continue to follow their journey on Tik Tok.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Appalled Dad Stands Up For 8-Year-Old Given Sexist Assignment By Teacher
Uplifting News

Appalled Dad Stands Up For 8-Year-Old Given Sexist Assignment By Teacher

A careless English teacher perpetuated sexist stereotypes with a worksheet for her students — and Twitter wouldn't let it slight.An inherently sexist assignmentWhat started as a simple English spelling worksheet has spiraled into a viral discussion about gender roles and sexism in our society.It all started with a tweet from a surgeon in the United Kingdom, Robert Sutcliffe, who shared his eight-year-old daughter's homework, according to GOOD.The worksheet was intended to highlight words with 'ur' in them — simple enough. But if you peer down to the numbered questions there is one word that stands out.In the question, the student is tasked with finding a word that is like hospital lady, but has the letters 'ur' in it. So, the girl smartly writes surgeon. There's 'ur' in it, and as it turns out, both her mom and dad are surgeons. Simple enough.But as you can see with the teacher's correction in red, that wasn't the word they were looking for. They were looking for nurse as the answer, which suggests that nurses are more likely to be hospital ladies than surgeons.Trashed on TwitterIn the replies to the tweet, people called out the teacher from framing the question as sexist and said how outdated the worksheet was.Sexism persistsIt's clear that the teacher was following the answers of the textbook and didn't stop to think about the implicit sexism of the assignment. Yes, women can be nurses, but so can surgeons and urologists, which both would be correct answers. In 1997 this type of oversight makes sense, but not now, or even when this tweet came out in 2017. Children are impressionable from a young age and it's important to encourage them to do whatever work they choose, regardless of their gender. More uplifting stories:Appalled Mom Stands Up For 6-Year-Old Shamed By Teacher For Her Painting11-Year-Old Genius Passes Up Higher Learning And It’s A Lesson For All ParentsMom Tells Son Not To Share With Other Kids And She Makes A Powerful PointWoman Finds Missing Child Using Tik Tok Hack All Parents Need To Know

Student Gets Denied Entry At Graduation For His Shoes, Teacher Steps In With Best Response
Uplifting News

Student Gets Denied Entry At Graduation For His Shoes, Teacher Steps In With Best Response

A teacher's extraordinary act of kindness helped a student celebrate one of the proudest moments of his life — but it really makes you wonder why that dress code policy was enforced in the first place. Prevented from attending his graduationDaverius Peters worked extremely hard to get to his graduation day. Because of chronic asthma, the senior at Hahnville High School in Boutte, Louisiana, spent the year remote learning. But on his graduation day, he nearly wasn't allowed to accept his diploma.The school instituted a strict dress code of dress shoes, a white dress shirt and tie underneath a purple gown — all things that Peters wore on his graduation day. But according to the school representative standing at the door, the shoes he was wearing — black leather with a white sole — didn't qualify because they looked like "athletic shoes."“She said my shoes violated the dress code and I couldn’t attend the ceremony unless I changed them,” Peters told The Washington Post.Peters was devastated.“I was in shock,” Peters recalled. “I felt humiliated. I just wanted to walk across the stage and get my diploma.”A teacher lent him shoesWith just minutes to spare before the ceremony was set to begin, Peters didn't have time to go buy new shoes — so he turned to a teacher beloved on campus for helping students work through their issues, John Butler.In a Facebook post, Butler explained how Peters ran up to him in a panic to tell him the situation. Butler — who was attending as a member of the audience to support his own daughter's graduation — tried to convince the woman at the door to let Peters in. So Butler didn't hesitate to do the right thing."It becomes a no brainer to me, a no more questions asked scenario. I gave him the shoes on my feet," Butler wrote.Was the school's dress code policy fair?Despite the shoes being two sizes too big, a grateful Peters slid across the stage to accept his diploma.“I wasn’t surprised because Mr. Butler is that type of person," he told The Post. "At school, if you’re having a bad day, he’ll be the one to take you out of class, walk around the school with you and talk to you.”Peters' mother Jima Smith was also thankful for Butler's act of kindness, but she was also furious at the school policy which could have robbed her son of one of the proudest moments of his life up to this point.“He worked so hard, and for someone to just rip that away from him, that was maddening to me,” she said. "How about if I couldn’t afford to buy him the shoes? This is not just about him; this is about the people that come after him.”“If it wasn’t for Mr. Butler’s kind and thoughtful act, my child would have been sitting outside, and I wouldn’t have known,” Smith added. “I pray he will continue to work in the public school system because we need more teachers like him. Our young Black men need good role models and mentors like Mr. Butler.”When asked about the dress shoe policy, the school's director of public information, Stevie Crovetto said they will consider amending it. “As with any policy that we have in place, any time an opportunity is presented to us to review and to make improvements, we absolutely will follow up on that,” she said. “We are not the least bit surprised that Mr. Butler did this kind gesture for this senior.”Humanity over questionable rules As students are kicked out of class for wearing turtlenecks or expelled for wearing skirts and others are barred from graduation because they don't own the precise type of shoes, we have to ask ourselves if dress code policies are doing more harm than good. What if, as Smith said, a family couldn't afford to buy new shoes. Does that mean the student doesn't deserve to graduate after putting in years of hard work?Bogus dress code policies aside, it is wonderful to know that students like Peters have teachers like Butler to be on their side and lend a helping hand — or helping shoes — when they need it most.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

In 1924, Their Land Was Taken Cause They Were Black - Today, Justice Was Served
Uplifting News

In 1924, Their Land Was Taken Cause They Were Black - Today, Justice Was Served

The Bruce family owned an African-American beach resort in Los Angeles County in the early 1900s — but the state stripped the land from them with policies motivated by racism. Now, the family's descendants are getting their land back. The California dreamIn the early 1900s, Charles and Willa Bruce, along with their son Harvey, moved from New Mexico to what's become Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County. In 1912, they opened up a beach resort — a place where African Americans like them could enjoy the sun, party in the dance hall, sip a coffee at the café, and rent bathing suits while segregation policies prohibited them from other beaches."Bruce's Beach became a place where black families traveled from far and wide to be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of a day at the beach," said Janice Hahn, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at a press conference, according to the Daily Mail.The state took their land away But the Bruces faced harassment by white neighbors and attacks from the Ku Klux Klan who nearly burned their property down. Then in 1924, discrimination came from the state itself as the Bruces were stripped of their land, with the government excavating the land for park use. The Bruces were paid $14,500 in compensation at the time, but could have easily been millionaires today."The Bruces had their California dream stolen from them," said Hahn. "And this was an injustice inflicted not just upon Willa and Charles Bruce but generations of their descendants who almost certainly would have been millionaires if they had been able to keep this property and their successful business."“I just want justice for my family,” said Anthony Bruce, a descendant of the Bruces who lives in Florida, to The New York Times."We've been stripped of any type of legacy, and we're not the only family that this has happened to," added Duane Yellow Feather Shepard, a relative of the Bruces and chief of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation. "It's happened all over the United States."The Bruces are getting their land backAfter fighting for their property in court (and losing in the 1920s), the land has changed hands among different governing legislations a few times, but it's now known as Bruce Beach (named after the family in 2006) and hosts a lifeguard training headquarters. But soon, it could be back in the hands of the Bruce family."It is the county's intention to return this property," Hahn announced on April 9."After so many years we will right this injustice," added State Senator Steven Bradford at the press conference.The Bruce family hasn't decided whether it'll take the land back or lease it back to the government for public use. If they do take it back, the value of the property is unknown, but there are homes worth $20 million on that strip of beach and one blog has estimated the land itself could be worth $72 million.A step towards justiceIt should be no surprise to Americans that racist policies like these, or redlining, which helped segregate America, led some to have wealth and property, and others to be left without. America needs to have a serious conversation about reparations, and while this ruling is not a full win — we cannot give the original owners of Bruce Beach their land back — it's a step in the right direction towards doing what's right.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

White Woman Pretends To Be Black Man's Wife To Expose Realtor's Discrimination
Everyday Heroes

White Woman Pretends To Be Black Man's Wife To Expose Realtor's Discrimination

One couple and an improvising friend went to extraordinary lengths to uncover racial discrimination. Something didn't add upHome ownership remains one of the reliable roads to a better future. That's exactly what Paul Austin and wife Tenisha Tate Austin of California had in mind when they went house hunting.However, after being constantly and significantly outbid on home offers, the process got "a little bit depressing," Austin tells ABC.They eventually found their dream home off-market, from a family in Marin City.Shortly after moving in, the couple sunk over $400,000 of renovations into their new home. Upgrades included a new deck, fireplace, and an entirely new floor.Yet the couple is shocked when they have their home appraised."I read the appraisal, I looked at the number I was like, 'This is unbelievable'"- Paul Austin Their home was valued at $989,000, which the couple claim was only $100,000 more than the value before the renovations.The Austins' surprise quickly turned into suspicion.Call a friendThe Austins are African American. The "off-market" family mentioned earlier was another African American couple who wanted to give members of their community an opportunity at homeownership.The appraiser was an older white woman whose evaluation contained what the family believes was coded language, like "Marin City is a distinct area."This aroused the couple's suspicion that their race played a factor in the home's low valuation.They decided to find out if their suspicions were correct.After securing a second evaluation, the Austins turned to a friend for help."We had a conversation with one of our white friends, and she said, ‘No problem. I’ll be Tenisha. I’ll bring over some pictures of my family"- Paul AustinWith the white friend posing as Tenisha, the home appraisal soared to $1,482,000. Almost a 50% jump from the initial valuation.Seeing colorsThe Austins were outraged, realizing that more than their home's value was being short-changed. "There are implications to our ability to create generational wealth or passing things on if our houses appraise for 50 percent less"- Tenisha Tate Austin Industry insiders say that the Austins' story is sadly common.“We know discrimination is in nearly every aspect of that home buying process,” said Jessica Lautz, National Association of Realtors’ vice president of demographics and behavioral insights. “We need to be addressing it as an industry.”Positive change takes everyoneRacism isn't a moment, event or a story, but a reality that poisons generations. The Austins experienced it firsthand.It also reminds us that true friends - of any creed and color - go the extra mile for their besties. Just like with the Austins, they can help attempt to rectify an unjust situation.More uplifting stories: Man Calls Cops On Black Customer For No Reason, Tik Tok Has Great ResponseGay Couple Gets Kicked Out Of Restaurant, Manager Has The Best ResponseDad Kicks Out Teen Son For Being Gay, Wife Instantly Breaks Up With HimBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Gay Couple Gets Kicked Out Of Restaurant, Manager Has The Best Response
Uplifting News

Gay Couple Gets Kicked Out Of Restaurant, Manager Has The Best Response

Simply holding hands was enough to get a married gay couple kicked out of a Bronx restaurant simply for embracing in public. But the restaurant has since apologized and fired the worker who made the discriminatory remarks.An affront against loveNelson Ayala and Jamel Brown Jr. just wanted some food from La Isla Cuchifrito Restaurant in Mott Haven, New York. But when they went to order, a cook made gestures criticizing the two men, who are married, for showing a public display of affection. In a video recorded by the couple, the woman is seen saying "man" and "woman" in Spanish, implying that their love is wrong.According to the couple, the woman wanted them kicked out, so they canceled their order and left to call the police. "Now that we have to go somewhere and be kicked out because of our sexual preference is just mind-blowing,” said Brown Jr. to News 12."Who I love shouldn't define where I shop or eat at. I came here to get service, not to get judged."Nelson Ayala The restaurant apologizedA manager at La Isla Cuchifrito has since apologized to the couple."We don’t condone what happened in this restaurant, we’ve been here like I said for 15 years, we have never had a problem in this community,” said Elizabeth Ocasio, manager at La Isla Cuchifrito, to News 12. They've also fired the employee."This one employee we didn’t know her behavior, we didn’t know that she'd act this way, as soon as we found out what happened, we terminated her," Ocasio added.The couple protested outside the restaurantTo further amplify how unjustly they were treated, the couple held a rally outside the restaurant. While there, the couple was offered a free meal but declined.“What is a free meal going to do? We are not hungry," said Brown Jr. "We want them to know that they just have to train their employees more. Have them treat people with respect just like they would want to be treated with respect behind the counter."Ocasio continued to try to make amends, inviting the couple to come back so that she can apologize to their face. "I apologize to anyone that felt offended, that felt any kind of way," Ocasio said. "That’s not us, it was only one person, one employee and she’s not here no more."Justice was servedYes, this story shows much more work needs to be done to eliminate discrimination. But it's also positive news, considering how quickly justice was served against the employee.The fight for equality in love, sex, race, and gender is far from over, and it's important for all of us to call out discrimination when we see it.More uplifting stories: 50 Years After Their Love Was Torn Apart by Racism, They’re Finally MarriedPoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others