A now-viral video showing the harassment a Black woman faced while at a bar in Georgia has resulted in swift backlash against the establishment.
TikTok user @mauryssa posted the video, which some viewers may find distressing, on her account where it was viewed nearly 120,000 times. In the comments section, @mauryssa said the video was taken at Hiram Station Bar and Grill.
Several clips were shown in the video, showing what was said to her while she was at the bar, including one of a patron declaring that he is a racist.
The Pew Research Center reported in 2019 that more than four in 10 adults in the United States say there has not been enough progress toward racial equality.
The organization also said that there is "skepticism," especially among Black respondents, that Black people will have equal rights as white people.
At the time of the Pew Research Center's study, most Americans said it has become more common for people to express racist or racially insensitive views since former President Donald Trump was elected president.
The video opened as a white man sitting at the bar began yelling at @mauryssa to leave the establishment.
She fired back, telling him that she was going to finish her food before leaving.
In another clip, she alleged an employee threw a box at her.
"I asked her to turn it down, and she got snappy with me and she just threw a whole box at me," @mauryssa said, showing a woman behind the bar.
The woman turned around and began to argue with @mauryssa, denying that she threw the box at her.
"What're you doing in a white place like this?" another patron asked @mauryssa.
The TikTok user replied and said she came to the bar to play pool.
"This is the only place with a pool table in the vicinity," she said. "So, that's what I'm doing in a 'white place.'"
He began to respond, but @mauryssa told him she could spend her money how she'd like.
Laughing could be heard off-camera before the same patron said, "I'm racist, I don't care."
@mauryssa said in the comments section that she went to the bar in the afternoon but has previously gone to the bar to play pool at night.
'Ignorant, Racist Behavior'
Viewers took to the comments section to express their thoughts on @mauryssa's experience.
"Sorry it happened to you but good job standing your ground," a viewer wrote. "Powerful."
"I'm so so sorry you had to experience this type of ignorant, racist behavior," one comment read. "I commend you for being brave and standing up to racism."
"Such a brave woman but be safe," another commenter wrote.
"This is disgusting," a viewer commented. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with this."
Newsweek reached out to @mauryssa for further comment. Newsweek could not reach Hiram Station Bar and Grill.
In May, a Black truck driver shared his experience with his stop-over in a Texas "sundown town" in a viral TikTok video.
In March, a video prompted students to call for a college professor to be fired for his "offensive and racist" comments.
That same month, another video showed students dancing in Native American clothing at a high school basketball game.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more
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