A hotel clerk has gone viral after posting a video clip showing him refusing to rent a room to an apparently racist customer.
In the video, openly gay Craig Brooks politely rejects an unseen woman’s pleas to stay at the hotel over and over again as he references an earlier phone call with her where the woman had called him an ugly racial slur.
Woman: “I need to stay here, my mother died.”
Clerk: “I understand that but you called me a f**king n*gg*r.”
Woman: “I’m sorry.”
Clerk: “But you weren’t sorry when you said it on the phone. At the end of the day, in the climate we live in today’s society…”
Woman: “I’m sorry.”
Clerk: “I understand that but it’s above me now.”
Woman: “I need a room tonight.”
Clerk: “Well, there’s the Best Western next door.”
Woman: “Please, I’ve had a horrible day today.”
Clerk: “And I had a horrible time hearing that.”
At one point in the short video, the woman’s daughter enters the lobby and asks why her mother isn’t allowed to stay. When the clerk explains that he’d been called the n-word, the daughter glosses over the issue saying, “My grandma just died.”
As if a dying grandma justifies using such hideous language? The daughter doesn’t even apologize for her mother’s behavior.
She might as well have said, “My mother is upset and forgot to not be a racist bigot in public.”
It’s interesting that they still wanted to be accommodated after such hideous behavior.
Watch the minute-long clip below. Warning – the video contains an ugly racial slur repeated many times.
I called a FUCKIN NIGGER at work… this how it played out 😂 #KillEmWithKindness pic.twitter.com/2Mftkj2eOg
— CJ ✊🏿🇲🇽 (@NoFridayy) June 3, 2019
Of course, in this day and age, social media is having a field day as #ItsAboveMeNow and ‘Best Western’ are now trending on Twitter.
The Twitterverse is applauding the young man for holding her accountable as he kills her with his kind, warm tone.
They are talking to him like there’s a ‘Dead Relative Clause’ in the N-word Manual 😂😂😂#ItsAboveMeNow#BestWesternpic.twitter.com/lWTMWFsmNE
— michelle greenidge (@Mimi_Greenidge) June 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/BrandyHoliday/status/1135404308936110081
Me all week when somebody come at me sideways its above me now and The Best Western is next Door😭😭 pic.twitter.com/cpY4FRUgFU
— DKT (@darleneturner53) June 3, 2019
The best thing about this is I don't see anyone telling him he should have had compassion because she was grieving
Are we finally learning to stop prioritizing their pain over ours??#ItsAboveMe I don't GAF what you going through
Kindly direct them to the Best Western pic.twitter.com/cOJG3HbXO9
— screen name redacted. investigation pending (@sofreenyla) June 3, 2019
I hope the Best Western was booked so she has nowhere to sleep pic.twitter.com/WLMOTY7epn
— Arianne (@arianneoo1991) June 3, 2019
What a morning! #ItsAboveMe, Best Western and #sashay are all trending and half the people on Twitter haven’t a clue what any of it means. ❤️🤫…and if you haven’t watched at least one episode of #WhenTheySeeUs…do your homework!
— Karen Hunter (@karenhunter) June 3, 2019
The best thing Best Western could do is tweet out "We don't want her either." #ItsAboveMe
— Turkey Leg Jeff (@TurkeyLegJeff) June 3, 2019
while we’re stanning #ItsAboveMe (rightfully so) , let’s also recognize the second gem of the video : #SheSaidWhatSheSaid
— ✨Nakia Danielle✨ (@UrLeadingLady) June 3, 2019
Fam. The Queen told Trump “there’s a Best Western next door.” I AM CRYING. https://t.co/WF4czDIGo1
— April (@ReignOfApril) June 3, 2019
What part of “its above me” did she not understand?? 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/vK65Vi1JtM
— El_CLOS24 🇲🇽 (@C_L0S24) June 3, 2019
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UPDATE: It’s come to our attention that while social media is cheering Mr. Brooks for his calm handling of the “case of the unwanted guest,” it seems he’s also quite transphobic.
Twitter-user Allan Brocka did a deep dive and found that in addition to being gay, Mr. Brooks has tweeted several anti-trans sentiments in the not-distant past.
The hotel clerk, Craig Brooks, is openly gay. And then there was the added layer of transphobia from Mr. Brooks.