A white woman stopped a Black family from exiting a Walmart parking lot by insisting that their car was actually hers. It has pointed out what white privilege looks like.
In a viral Twitter video, a white mob is seen terrorizing a Black family as they try to drive away in a nice car. The incident took place at a Walmart parking lot in Spokane, Washington. When the video, shared online by Lee Allen, begins, a white woman can be seen standing at the hood of the car blocking the driver's path forward. Two of Allen's children were in the vehicle with him at the time; his daughter was recording the video. Other white bystanders begin to crowd around the car as she continues to claim that the car belongs to her. The video has caused a stir online, with many pointing out that it highlights how white privilege works in the United States.
Wtf is going on? Why is this group surrounding this black man and his family? He's better than me because these mf's would have been roadkill. pic.twitter.com/B6aUDdWYqo
— #NeverBiden (@LodieDodie) June 26, 2020
When Allen attempts to drive around the woman, he is blocked in all directions by other pedestrians. Another white man begins to stand in front of the car "ominously," with one of his hands inside his jacket as if waiting to pull out a handgun. As more people gather around the vehicle, Allen's son begins placing an emergency call to 911. At one point, another white man (identified later as Lawton Miller) approaches the driver's side and opens the door. "Just to explain something," he states in the video. "This is her car." He was referring to the white woman who first blocked Allen from exiting the parking lot.
Before forcing the door shut, the father affirms, "This is not her car." Miller then becomes enraged and demands that the family exit the car. Bangs can be heard as the daughter starts crying. Members of the white mob bang on the windows and someone even attacks the car with a bike. In a desperate attempt to get away from the mob, Allen starts driving away when one man jumps on top of the hood of the car. Despite this, the car starts slowly moving away. Miller jumps on his motorcycle and chases the car. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the car did in fact belong to Allen.
I experienced a more benign version of this when I was a child. My grandfather had a good job, therefore he had a nice car.
— Boomer59 (@BoomR59) June 26, 2020
it's so insulting to have a police officer pull you over and ask you whose car this is.
To me white people assume black people can't have nice things
For the father, protecting his children was his first priority. "I knew I was going to keep my kids protected no matter what," he shared. If all else fails, I could just step on that gas pedal and shoot out like a rocket somewhere, but at the same time I didn’t want to hurt anybody." Ever since the video of the incident went viral online, folks have wondered if a white family would ever find themselves in such a situation. One Twitter user wrote, Fellow White people reacting with shock and horror to this video! Did this video make you cringe? Did you feel fear creeping in and freezing your blood in your veins? Next time a Black person tells you about being harassed, intimidated... Believe them. Remember the feeling of helpless terror watching this video engendered in you and BELIEVE THEM. Don't assume they're exaggerating. Don't assume it's a misunderstanding. Minorities deal with this sort of sh*t on the regular.
What the actual hell.
— 🔻JMaster 🔻 (@ImJMaster) June 26, 2020
Oh, right. Black families of 4 are notorious for commandeering cars from uppity white women, especially during this time. Of course, what was I thinking...
Also amused (and terrified) by the literal cavalry of white knights trying to stop them.