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When Mike and Jeralyn Wirtz wed more than four decades ago in Virginia, interracial marriage had only been legal for 10 years. Fast forward to today, and their love story is inspiring a new generation thanks to the couple’s active participation in social media.
We all know that feeling when traveling alone -- boarding a flight, train, or bus, and looking for our seat. We’re filled with excitement, of course, but also a little anxiety. Who will we be sitting next to? Will it be a chatterbox who tries to keep up a conversation throughout the whole flight? Will it be someone completely silent and engrossed in seasons of Friends on their iPad? We never know what we’re going to get! The one thing that we don’t want is to end up next to someone who will make you feel uncomfortable for the whole flight -- unless of course they land the first blow. One woman recently vowed to make the man sitting next to her feel equally uncomfortable after she saw him sending racist text messages about her to his family. What a Woman Did When She Caught a Man Sending Racist TextsPhoto by Roman PohoreckiContent creator Taila Rouse was flying from Puerto Rico to Atlanta when she saw the man next to her, in the middle seat, texting his family. What she saw was completely shocking. The man, who wasn’t able to sit with his family on the flight, was complaining to them about having to sit next to a “big, black woman.”He was also allegedly texting other racist and homophobic remarks, discussing airlines raising their prices in order to “weed out” people like Taila on airplanes. At first, Taila didn’t want to say anything for fear of making everyone on the flight uncomfortable. Then, she decided she had to say something. If this man was comfortably texting things like this to his family while sitting in the middle seat on an airplane where anyone could see it, who knows what he was comfortable saying in private.She knew she had to say something. “I wasn’t going to say anything — but I decided I want 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.”The man briefly feigned ignorance but quickly dropped the act. He gave Taila an insincere “sorry,” but she wasn’t done saying her piece -- she declined the apology and told the man he was only sorry he got caught. How One Woman Proved the Importance of Standing Up for YourselfTaila’s actions are a lesson in always standing up for yourself. No matter how uncomfortable confronting somebody may feel, it is important to call people out when you see them doing harmful things. TikTok users were inspired by Taila’s actions, and started praising her in the comments. “I know your heart was beating saying this and honey, but you stood up through it! Proud beyond proud.”“The shaking … I can feel you through this video. So proud. So brave. So honorable!”It can be incredibly hard to call out wrongdoing, but it is so important to set a good example for those around us. If we all stayed quiet in the face of injustice, our society would never progress.More from Goalcast:Black Employee Is Fired After He Stands Up to His Racist Boss – Outraged Co-workers Have the Best ResponseRacist Man Refuses to Apologize for His Daughter’s Bullying – Until the Victim’s Father Gets the Last Laugh
Autumn Roberson-Manahan loved school. She got along well with her classmates and teachers. The straight-A student hoped to be her class’s valedictorian. Just before her senior year, though, Autumn’s family moved from Ohio to Slaton, Texas. Little did they know how much that move to a rural Texas town would change their lives.Driving into Slaton, residents and visitors are greeted by a mural showing Black workers in a cotton field, a white farmer keeping watch over them from his tractor.The slogan says,“Slaton: Your Kind Of Town.” Both of Autumn’s parents had grown up in the town of under 6,000 people. When they made the decision to move back, they had vague memories of experiencing some racism there. What they didn’t realize is that not only had things not gotten better — they had gotten worse. And the three children they had raised in Ohio weren’t about to take it sitting down.The Relentless Racism One Girl Faced at SchoolPhoto by Brett SaylesThe first time someone called Autumn a derogatory name was in class at her new school. The boy had asked her where she lived. When she told him, he said, “I run your block, n—er.” Autumn was shocked. She looked back at the boy and said calmly, “That’s offensive.” It wouldn’t be the last time she heard the racial slur. In fact, it became a daily occurrence for Autumn, as it was for the two dozen Black students at the school. Autumn continued to ask students to stop calling her that. Two weeks into the school year, she started making formal complaints to the principal. But Autumn was dismissed. While school officials claimed to come down hard on racism, Autumn didn’t see anyone being punished, and the taunts continued. When Autumn’s parents found out what was going on, they were furious. Autumn’s mother JaQuatta ordered a special pen for her daughter, one that could make audio recordings. She told her daughter to record any racial aggressions she experienced at school.“I wanted to have proof,” JaQuatta said. “When it comes to Black children, I’m sorry to say it, you have to have that.” JaQuatta also asked to speak to the principal and sent a letter to the superintendent. How One Girl Decided to Get ProofIn the first incident Autumn recorded, two boys are chanting the n-word at her. One goes so far as to say, “I’m gonna hurt you.” When Autumn’s mother heard that, she immediately took the recording to the principal: "You mean to tell me my child can’t feel safe? When all she wants to do is be excellent?”Indeed, as the harassment dragged on, Autumn’s grades started to slip. The girl became less and less her joyful, bubbly self and more and more withdrawn.For months, Autumn calmly but firmly documented every instance of racism, showing school administrators the pervasive problem and pleading with them to do something about it. Autumn remembers two boys confronting her, laughing at the fact that they couldn’t say the word n—er. Instead, the first boy chanted the first syllable of the word and the second boy finished it.She also remembers a school administrator telling her she shouldn’t let something as small as a word hurt her.Autumn continued to make complaints to teachers and administrators, but as it became increasingly clear that nothing was to be done about it, the 17-year-old bottled up her feelings.JaQuatta lamented, “They took my beautiful baby girl — who my husband and I worked so hard to mold and love and support — and they broke her. They didn’t protect her. They cast her aside like she was trash.”How a 17-Year-Old Stood Up for Herself Against Bullies And then one day, Autumn couldn’t take it anymore. When a boy called her a name on the basketball court, she grabbed him by the hood of his sweatshirt and started slapping him, screaming, “It’s not OK! It’s racist!”The smart, joyful girl with a bright future ahead of her had been chipped away at until it came to this. And the school came down hard…not on the boy who, other students confirmed, had been making repeated racist comments toward her for weeks, but on Autumn. For the girl who had no record of disciplinary action on her file, they decided she would have to serve 45 days at the district’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, a juvenile detention like setting where students wear orange uniforms, sit facing forward at all times and can only speak with permission.Autumn’s future had taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Desperate, the 17-year-old ran away and attempted to take her own life. Autumn’s parents were besides themselves with grief. The physician overseeing Autumn’s care recommended that she switch schools.How One Family Demanded Action From AuthoritiesAutumn’s parents went back to the school. They sat with administrators and reminded them of all the times they had asked for help with the pervasive racism at school, all the times they had asked them to intervene before it was too late. Now, it was too late for requests. They demanded action. When the school hemmed and hawed again, Autumn’s parents decided they had no other choice but to file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. They would be in good company. The NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Intercultural Development Research Association, a nonprofit education equity group, had filed federal complaints with the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights concerning school districts in Lubbock County. Documented incidents include white students playing whipping sounds on their cell phones as Black students walk by, taunting Black students with the n-word on the basketball court, and the creation by a group of middle schoolers of an Instagram page called “LBMS Monkeys”, where photos of Black students are posted. How a Family Proves Racism Should Be Combatted With EducationPhoto by Polina KovalevaResearch shows that children targeted by racism, sexism, or other types of bullying are more likely to develop mental health problems and struggle in school. That was certainly the case for Autumn. She went from being slated to be the class valedictorian to not being sure she’d finish her senior year. She went from loving school to hating it, struggling to sleep and struggling to get up in the morning.“I reported situation after situation, to where, personally, I felt like we were almost begging for some type of reparation for everything going on, for some type of justice,” said Autumn. “In the process of all of that, I feel like I was losing myself.”In response, the school district reiterated that they are increasing disciplinary measures for students who use racial slurs. But, for Autumn, it’s too little too late. It’s also not enough. Autumn would like increased punitive measures to be accompanied by education.Because racism is a lack of education, perhaps the best way to combat it is to teach children the country’s history, its fight for civil rights, how far it has come and how far it still needs to go to provide all of its citizens with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All children — and many adults — need to be taught not only to not be the instigators of racism, but also to not stand for it and, like Autumn, to speak up, again and again.More from Goalcast:Racist Woman Calls Police on Black Man Driving 2 White Kids – Little Did She Know Who He Really Was in the CommunityBlack Employee Is Fired After He Stands Up to His Racist Boss – Outraged Co-workers Have the Best ResponseRacist Man Refuses to Apologize for His Daughter’s Bullying – Until the Victim’s Father Gets the Last Laugh
There’s a pretty famous saying about making assumptions. But sometimes, assuming something can do more than make you look silly — it can also be dangerous. Yet, unfortunately, it was racism and preconceived notions that led one woman to call the police on a Black babysitter in Georgia for absolutely no reason.A Surprising EncounterCorey Lewis was babysitting for David Parker and Dana Mango one afternoon in Marietta, Georgia, when he decided to take the six-year-old boy and his sister to Subway at the local Walmart for lunch. Lewis knew them from his youth mentorship program, which the 27-year-old founded and runs.As they were finishing up, an unidentified woman came up to the car and asked if the kids were all right, according to Lewis.“I was taken aback and responded, 'Why wouldn't they be?'” Lewis told BuzzFeed News. “She told me 'It looked weird,' and I was like, 'They're fine.'”What looked weird to the woman? The fact that Lewis is Black and the children are white. From there, she couldn’t let it go. She left, circled the parking lot in her car, then returned, as per Lewis.“She then asked if the little girl could get out of the car so she could ask her if she knew who I was,” he continued. “And I said no and she got upset and threatened to take down my license plate and call the cops. I said OK and she drove off.”A Scary TurnWhen the kids finished eating, Lewis ensured they were both safe in the car and drove off to get gas. That’s when he realized the woman was tailing them in her car. He took out his phone and began recording the encounter.“All because I got two kids in the backseat who do not look like me... It's crazy,” he said in the video. “It's 2018 and this is what I have to deal with. I can't go out with two kids who don't look like me without it being weird.”Lewis was about to take the kids home when the woman kept following them, so he decided to go to his house instead. It was closer, plus his mother was home. When he arrived and pulled over, he took out his phone again and recorded a second video.“She turned on my street too and then kind of stopped near the cul-de-sac and then, a few minutes later, the police officer showed up and began asking me questions,” Lewis told BuzzFeed News.In the video, you can hear the approaching police officer ask Lewis what’s up.“I am being followed and harassed; that's what's up,” Lewis said. “I've heard,” the officer answered with a laugh. He then questioned the kids and everyone went on their way. Still, the incident could have been a lot worse.Dealing With the Aftermath Afterward, the kids had a lot of questions, and the parents were shocked it had happened in the first place.“We never thought we would have to prepare them for a traffic stop or being pulled out of a car by cops when we weren't there,” the dad, Parker, explained to BuzzFeed News. “My wife really kept thinking it was a prank. It's difficult to wrap my head around what would motivate someone to do that,” he continued.According to Lewis and the family, they’re still trying to figure out who the woman was because the kids want her to know what a stand-up community man Lewis actually is.“My son wants her to know how much fun he has with Mr. Lewis and what a great guy he is. Both kids also want to ask her why she thought it was weird that 'someone with brown skin was with someone with peachy skin.' Even superficially, they knew what was happening and they want to know why.”As for Lewis, he’s sad but is trying to see the positive side of things.“I work with white kids every day, and even though you always hear about this stuff, it's still so demoralizing when it happens to you,” Lewis added. “I guess the good side of it is that it keeps a light on an issue that we need to keep talking about.”Throwing Away Preconceived NotionsWhile it’s always important to try and help if a child seems in distress or something is off about their situation, there was no basis in this specific circumstance for this woman to have intervened. In fact, her actions could have caused more danger than good.It’s a reminder that we should all try and check preconceived notions and not make snap judgments about people or situations without actually knowing what’s going on. People are always going through things we can’t see, and just because someone may look one way to you doesn’t mean that’s who they are inside.Instead, educate yourself, talk about these issues, and share stories such as these. The only way for things to get better is to be transparent and share the messages behind the stories as we all work toward a more unified future for everyone.
*Featured image contains photo by Romina OrdóñezJacquelyn Stimson couldn't believe it when she walked out her front door and discovered that sometime during the night, while her family was sleeping, someone had etched a racial slur into the side of her car.What made it even more unbelievably heartbreaking was that the hate was targeted at her then 7-year-old son, Eze, just because of the color of his skin.Jacquelyn and Eze, who is biracial, live in a family-friendly neighborhood in the small town of Derry, New Hampshire. Things like this aren't supposed to happen here."I don't understand this thinking, at all. I didn't know it still existed," Jacquelyn told CBS News.Family Targeted With Multiple Racist Messages Three days after brutally vandalizing the car, the perpetrators believed to be bullies from Eze's school, struck again. This time, they wrote a racist and intimidating message on a wooden sawhorse and left it on the front lawn. The message contained a racial slur followed by the words "Go Home!" Then, less than a week later, Jacquelyn found her car covered in watermelon and fried chicken.Derry Police Capt. Vern Thomas confirmed that all three incidents appeared to be racially motivated.After the string of targeted attacks against the little boy, the mother and son's neighbors had seen enough, including Steve Vachon. Horrified by the hate crimes and wanting to show Eze and his family love & support, Steve decided to fight the violence with an act of love.Bikers Mount Up for Young Victim of RacismPhoto by cottonbro studioA member of the Manchester Motorcycle Club, Steve rallied the troops. The club organized a rally and in an impressive display of solidarity, 20 bikers rode up to Eze’s school like the bosses they are and waited for him outside the gates. Honking their horns and revving their engines, they were there to send a clear message: "You mess with Eze, you mess with us." Most of all, they wanted Eze to know he wasn't alone."We just want to share something with the kid, that he has people who care about him," Steve said.The bikers treated Eze to a ride-along, some ice cream, and a little lesson in motorcycles.They also made him an honorary club member, outfitting him in his own helmet and a black leather motorcycle jacket."It means a lot because I've never been part of a big, giant club," Eze said.His mom agreed. "I think it means the world to him." "He knows the town supports him and no one hates him, and that he can walk with pride and he doesn't have to be scared," she added.The Power of CommunityRacism has no place in any civilized society. The pain and suffering that it inflicts on its victims are immeasurable and can last a lifetime. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. It is our responsibility to ensure that discrimination, prejudice, and hate crimes have no place in our communities. This is something that the Manchester Motorcycle Club is clearly already on top of. The biker community's response to the hate crimes against the 7-year-old boy and his mother was admirable. Their love and support not only helped the family to heal but also showed that there is still hope for humanity. It is heartening to know that in times of darkness, there are people out there who are willing to stand up for what is right and make a positive difference in the world.
It's a fact that good jobs are tough to find, especially for Black men. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, they represent the biggest jobless segment at 12.2%.You can bet oil-change worker DeWayne Wren knew this working at East End Xpress Lube in Illinois. But no amount of money was worth the hell he went through. Yet it would only get worse when he went to his boss about it.Why a Black Employee Was Fired by a Racist Husband and WifePhoto by Nicola BartsThat's because it was his boss East End Xpress owner Paul Beeler, along with his wife Marcia, who constantly abused Wren with racist insults. Per the Atlanta Black Star, Wren recalled one time when things got really personal and Beeler called him derogatory names.When Wren confronted Beeler in his office about it, he refused to apologize, saying that it was his shop and he can do as he wants. Then, as a final insult, Wren was fired for having the gall to speak up. What's worse is that his white co-workers who also complained kept their jobs. Little did his racist bosses know at the time, but they were about to get a double dose of karma. How Co-workers Stepped Up for a FriendPhoto by Nick FewingsWhen word of Wren's firing got around, four of his co-workers quit in protest, leaving only one mechanic at the shop. All of them, like Ethan Hess, expressed outrage as their motivation.“They fired Wren because he was Black and they did not want to own up to it,” he told the Riverfront Times.Samuel Sargent another former employee, recalled Beeler making racist comments several times. In an angry text to Marcia Beeler, he shamed her and defended Wren.“This is the 21st century, you and Paul should be better than to be saying racial slurs towards, around, or behind anyone even more importantly my good friend DeWayne who I know is a hard worker,” he wrote.“I do not stand for that and will not let it happen to my friends.”Neither Paul nor Marcia Beeler replied to any requests for comment. At this point, probably the less they say the better. How Co-workers Proved That Friends Stick Up for Each OtherPhoto by Alexander SuhorucovAmong best friend quotes, one from Hellen Keller reads, "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." In DeWayne Wren's darkest moment, four of his friends stepped up to walk with him.Yes, in this case, it meant leaving a job and going into the unknown. I'm sure it wasn't easy for Hess, Sargent, or the other two. Yet is their integrity worth cashing cheques from racists? While you can't blame someone who has no motivation to stay but also no option to leave, you can surely salute those who took a stand and left.Doing what's right isn't always doing what's easy; it's the force that pushes the sun through the clouds.
No family ever wants to go through the experience that Joshua Lane and his family went through in 2020. Being judged because of the way you look is an awful — and potentially dangerous — situation that no one would ever want to be in. Yet when it happened to Lane, he decided to take the moment as a teachable one, and share his experience in hopes of inspiring change.A Routine Shopping TripYouTube/CBS NewsWhen Lane entered the local Walmart in Vacaville, California a couple of years ago, he had no idea the shopping trip would culminate with him being racially profiled and being asked to leave.The Black man and father of two was shopping for a movie projector for his kids in March 2020 when suddenly, security personnel began following him. The longshoreman had a conversation with one of the men.RELATED: Dad Of Interracial Family Admits To Confronting His Own Racial Bias – Learns Powerful Lesson“I told him I'm a working man and showed him a picture of my wife and kids,” Lane recalled to CBS News. “He kind of apologized but told me, 'You fit the description.’”At first, Lane shrugged it off and went to another aisle, but then he noticed more people trailing him. One woman, in particular, began to watch him extra closely.“We moved to another aisle and continued speaking. That's when the lady followed me again,” Lane continued. “This happened at least three different times in three different aisles.”Protecting HimselfAt that point, Lane whipped out his phone and began recording the interactions to protect himself. In the video, which Lane’s wife later shared on social media, the woman can be seen calling someone.“He’s being hostile and threatening,” she’s overheard saying.“She then asked me to leave,” Lane explained to the publication. “When she said those words I knew she was on the phone as well. I ceased everything and I headed towards the exit.”RELATED: How Raising 6 Biracial Children Opened Robert de Niro’s EyesLater, after the video gained traction and Lane began sharing his story (including reporting it to the company), Walmart Global Ethics investigated. The company said it was “unable to substantiate” the allegation of racial profiling by a “former employee,” and shared that Lane was a customer “currently in good standing.”“I'm trying to teach my son and my daughter; they're gonna have to grow up in the city and be leaders as well,” Lane said. “I'm trying to show them by example.”A Common Occurrence One of the reasons Lane wanted to push back in a constructive way following the incident is because it wasn’t an isolated one. Black people go through these types of scenarios every single day.“It's very real. It's everywhere. It needs to be talked about. The more silent we are about it, the more it's going to continue to happen,” he added.That’s also why Lane returned to Walmart nearly two weeks after the incident, along with two members of the NAACP, to meet with the store manager. He wanted an explanation, and he also wanted to ensure something would be done to make the store safe for all customers.“If I had been hostile, it probably would've turned out in a not good situation,” Lane wrapped. “That could've been my name out there everybody would be screaming.”Speaking Up When It MattersThis story is frustrating because it shows how real racial profiling and systemic racism continue to be, even with all the learning we’ve gone through in the past couple of years. The good news is that there are people like Lane who are speaking up and working on spreading the word to try and inspire change in a positive and educational way.It’s a reminder that when we’re in an unfair (and maybe scary) situation, it’s always best to try and remain calm but not to go silent. By waiting until he was out of the store and reacting, rather than putting up a fight in the heat of the moment, Lane was able to get his message across to more people.Meanwhile, it’s also important to continue and challenge your own preconceived notions and ideas, and accept that your experience may not be the same as someone else’s. The more we’re willing to be open and honest about the work that needs to be done and the change that needs to happen, the sooner we can finally get there.
Oprah Winfrey is considered one of the most influential personalities in the US. Also known for her positive impact, Oprah has inspired millions of people to embrace their greatness. By being a genuine empath with an authentic flair, she has the ability to touch souls and has made a meaningful difference in the lives of those who listened to her advice.Because of the mega-star’s long list of achievements, some people would find it hard to believe that her road to success was filled with many obstacles and challenges. As a matter of fact, most of those who watch Oprah’s show know the host only for her wealth and accolades but not for her humble origins.Before becoming one of the most powerful celebrities in the world and the first female African-American billionaire, Oprah had to rise from the depths of poverty. But even with such a status and even if she continues to help others become the best version of themselves, she still faces the cruel reality of racism.The media mogul has talked about a couple events that made her feel discriminated due to her skin color, but before diving into those stories, let’s talk a bit about Oprah’s difficult road to success.Before fame, Oprah lived in poverty and abuseWinfrey was born to a single teenager mother and grew up at a small farm in Mississippi. She felt unwanted and neglected as she was permanently shuttled back and forth from her grandmother to her mother.She’s spent most of her early years with her grandmother. They were penniless so Oprah had to wear potato sacks as dresses. And as if that wasn’t enough, her grandma would constantly beat her.When she turned six, her grandmother became ill so she moved with her mother in a boarding house. There, they lived on welfare and on her mother’s wages from cleaning houses. This doesn’t sound like the beginnings of billionaire, and yet it is.It is easy to understand why a neglected child is more vulnerable. On one hand, they are left to do all kinds of stuff on their own without being guided or supervised. On the other hand, they are exposed to all kinds of evil, including sexual abuse. Sadly, this was the case for Oprah…When she was 9 years old, she was left in the care of her cousin who raped her. She was also abused by other relatives, including her mother’s boyfriend, and the abuse continued until she was 13 years old. That’s when Oprah decided to run away from home, but the tragedies didn’t stop there.At 14 years old she found out that she was pregnant and the pregnancy was the result of the sexual abuse she endured. She gave birth to a son that died premature at the hospital. She even had a name for him – Canaan. The experience scarred her so much that she decided to never have babies again. However, that didn’t stop her from taking care of other children and the girls at her boarding school in Johannesburg.Oprah's road to successOprah Winfrey with a hat on walking through the corn fields in a scene from the film 'The Color Purple', 1985. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)Heartbroken after losing her son, Oprah moved to Tennessee with her father who made education a high priority for her.After winning a public speaking contest, the future queen of the celebrity sit-down received a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. Later, she got a few broadcasting jobs before she became the host of her own morning show - A.M. Chicago. The show became a hit and it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show.Now, Winfrey has her own network - the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) – which features entertainment and lifestyle shows that target African American audiences. When asked about her past in poverty, Oprah stated: "I am so grateful for my years literally living in poverty because it makes the experience of creating success and building success that much more rewarding.”However, the media mogul also acknowledges that she is an unlikely emblem of success. Opening up to Larry King, Oprah candidly reveals the other facet of being a black woman and achieving an inordinate amount of fame and power in an industry that is already notoriously hard to break into. I think the higher up you go in the chain of capitalism, your experience sexism? Huge because of the expectations of who you are and what you should be doing as a woman and as a black woman. You're breaking new ground, and so people don't expect you to be sitting at certain board tables, people don't expect you to be able to break down certain barriers.Oprah to Larry King NowEarning success has changed a lot - but not everythingSuccessful as she may be, Oprah still has had to face some experiences that she deemed “clearly racist" despite her worldwide fame. In 2013, she offered the details of such a story on Larry King Now.While in France, Winfrey saw a sweater that she liked in the window of a store in Rennes. But when she tried to enter the store, they wouldn’t open the door.And I am not the person who pulls the race card, so I am just like, wow, I wonder what... do they see us out here?OprahShe went across the street with her colleague and called the shop to see if they are open and… they were, but apparently not for everyone. When they came back the doors were still closed. They simply refused to let them in, but it was only after she saw two white women going into the store that she realized it was “a racist moment."Oprah called again on her way back to the US, looking for an explanation and she got one. They said that they were robbed by two black people the week before and they were afraid to open the door. They offered to send the sweater for free, but by then Oprah didn’t want it anymore.Oprah’s Pretty Woman momentIn 1990, Julia Roberts made history with Pretty Woman. At one point in the movie, Julia’s character who is a prostitute, is refused service in a chic and expensive Beverly Hills boutique. The salesladies had a condescending attitude and were quite rude.While she was in Switzerland to attend Tina Turner’s wedding, Oprah had a pretty similar experience. It happened in a Swiss high-end handbag shop.She asked the woman at the store to show her a bag, but she refused saying that it’s too expensive. That lady clearly had no idea who she was talking to. Oprah asked two more times to see the bag (a $38,000 crocodile skin handbag by Tom Ford), but the saleslady refused giving for a reason that she would not be able to afford it.Shocked (and probably offended) to see that kind of attitude in Switzerland, Oprah chose to walk out of the store without causing a scene saying “Ok thank you so much, you’re probably right, I can’t afford it.”Oprah believed the salesperson thought she could not afford the bag due to the color of her skin. Needless to say that she got a little pissed-off afterwards and wanted to go back to the store to buy everything just like Julia Roberts did in Pretty Woman but decided instead to hold back.I wanted to go and create a Pretty Woman moment and go and come back and buy everything and say 'Big mistake!' But then I thought she'd get commission so let's not do that.Oprah to Larry KingSometimes, being the bigger person is the best decisionOprah was named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes and it’s hard to believe that even at that level of success she’s still discriminated from time to time.Clearly, the world can be a cruel place for anyone, regardless of their status. However, what we admire most from Oprah’s unfortunate experiences is the fact that she remained cool and chose to not cause a scene. While most celebrities would’ve pulled the “Do you know who I am?” card, she didn’t.If you'll ever find yourself in a similar situation remember that the best thing you can do is to elegantly walk away and leave those petty people behind. Their words shouldn't hurt you because the opinions of someone who discriminates based on skin color simply don't matter.
In the late 1970s, Penny Umbers and Mark Bethel met at a private school in Nottingham, England — and the two teenagers fell in love.They continued to keep in touch after Bethel returned home to the Bahamas by exchanging love letters, poems, and paintings.When it was time to attend university, Bethel went to study in London and Umbers got into a polytechnic college nearby so they could be close to each other.But their relationship ended, seemingly out of the blue.Umbers was devastated. She dropped out of college and even attempted suicide, according to Birmingham Mail.He was everything to me, he made me feel so loved, and so to not see or hear from him was unbelievable.Penny UmbersParents broke up their relationshipAfter their break-up, Umbers and Bethel went on with their lives. Umbers got married and divorced twice, while Bethel also had a serious relationship that didn't work out.But in 2019, Bethel managed to track Umbers down on Facebook and revealed the truth of why he broke up with her."When we spoke in 2019, Mark told me, for the first time, what had happened at school," said Umbers. He had been talking to my father in the garden and I remember thinking they had so much in common because they both liked sports. But in actual fact, my father had said to him 'you've had your fun, now move on boy.' It absolutely shattered him, he was such a sweet lovely boy and he was really in love with me.Penny Umbers Umbers' father's threats escalated to the point where he called Bethel out of class to the vice principal's office for a stern warning."My father told him he knew people in high places and would have his scholarship revoked if he didn't stop seeing me and that I must know nothing about this," Umbers added.Bethel's parents were against their relationship too, due to the fact that he is Black and Umbers is white.Making up for lost timeBethel admitted that the decision to break up with Umbers was extremely difficult for him. "When we first met, I fell for her and it was magic. When her father spoke to me, I couldn't believe I was in that situation," he explained, according to Birmingham Mail. "I had to make the hardest decision of my life and I had to make it in isolation. I had no support mechanism, no friends or family, I couldn't explain to her why I just wanted it to end. It was heartbreaking."Over the years, Bethel searched for Umbers, but couldn't track her down."Then one day I found a photo of her in a black outfit outside Windsor Castle," he said. "Thirty-nine years on, I wasn't sure if it was her. I sent her repeated messages but she wasn't really a Facebook user so it was a couple of months before she saw it. I just said 'Is this Penny?' and then it was! I felt nervous, apprehensive, happy, and giddy." The couple — now aged 60 and 61 — finally reunited in June 2021 when Umbers flew to see Bethel in the Bahamas.She returned home after a few months, but when she flew back in October, Bethel proposed to her then and there."I've never loved anyone the way I love Mark," said Umbers. I feel like a whole new person.Penny Umbers"My confidence has come back," she added. "I had a defeatist attitude whereas I stand up tall now knowing he did love me after all. It was so difficult to think the man I loved didn't love me. I thought if he had discussed it with me, maybe we could have done something about it but he was far more accepting of authority and less rebellious than me. He wanted to fit in and do well, and he has done it in life. But he had to make sacrifices to do that." Love triumphsEven though you've probably read it here on this website many times, it's worth mentioning again: love has no color, gender, sex, etc. It's awful that these two lovebirds' parents broke them up. But in the end, their connection triumphed, proving its never too late to find your person.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 OthersTrue love always find its way Regardless of the circumstances, true love is always worth fighting for.
It's already difficult for most of us to be comfortable in our own skin. But for Khoudia Diop, life was unbearable. Bullying and racism 'I was teased a lot growing up, because of my skin tone. By other kids, and now even online sometimes, people will make comments. Born in Senegal and moved to France when she was 15, she was called racial slurs. It got so bad she stopped going to school.I was so ashamed of it that I would spend hours in the shower crying and trying to wash my skin off.- Khoudia DiopAt first, Diop said that she used to confront them. However, she'd soon change course and fade her haters. The birth of her confidence At 17, Diop decided to lean into her darkness and pursue modeling. “I wanted to express myself using visuals and also celebrate the beauty of black women, travel and have amazing opportunities,” she says.She debuted in the The Colored Girl campaign ‘Rebirth,’ and that it was. Her Instagram followers soared to over 300,000 in just three months. Ditching her days of crying in the shower, Diop has renamed herself the 'Melanin Queen,' embracing her beauty, inside and out. However, her motivation goes far beyond herself. “[I gave myself the nickname] because of my dark, melanin-rich complexion, and because I want to inspire young girls and let them know that we are all goddesses inside and out,” she told People. Self-love is skin deepFor Diop, her mission continues. She wrote on Facebook: "One of my goals is to make all my dark-skinned sisters out there laugh at those with their "beauty standards" they're nobody noooobody to tell you how you should look. Start glowing queen. [sic]" In his book The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz talks about Mitiote, which an old Aztec term which is basically gossip, words that poison and bring others down.The book talks about how life's a big dream, and how, in their own way, others try to impose their dreams on you. And, in Khoudia Diop's case, the hateful comments she received were a reflection of the character and state of the bullies. Ultimately, the dream we live is the dream we choose. Like Diop, we can choose to live one where we're the star of our life and validate ourselves.Self-love is not something that you get in one day or two days. It’s an ongoing process and I go through it every day.- Khoudia DiopMore 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 HimPoor Bread Seller Accidentally Photobombs Celebrity Shoot And Lands Modeling Career8 Months Ago, He Was A 39-Year-Old DoorDash Driver – Today, He’s A Pro Golfer
