Racial segregation has largely been abolished, though memories might remain fresh for many in the US. One man from Chicago, Illinois, has thus taken it upon himself to remind people that segregation in the US existed not that long ago, and he did so by playing a restroom prank where White people were not allowed in a “Black-only bathroom.” The result was rather divisive to many people.
TikTok user foreverband, is the Black man in question, and on March 1, he uploaded a video of his mall restroom shenanigans. In the now-viral clip, the TikTok user can be seen blocking the door to the men’s room, halting every Caucasian man and barring them entry, telling them that “they can’t use the Black-only bathroom.” The TikTok user even pointed to the restroom sign as supposed proof, because it features a black male figure.
Some of the men tried to argue and even called out the prank, though it’s arguable whether what the TikTok user was doing was a prank or not, as he didn’t exactly let up and kept guarding the door against Caucasian men. Apparently, what the TikTok user did is also in commemoration of Black History Month, which ran from February 1 to March 1.
The Clip Sparked a Debate
TikTok user foreverband, for the record, has similar videos where he apparently tries to act like how he thinks White people treat Black people, both in the past and currently. His Black-only bathroom, however, is currently the most viral one to date. Many viewers, however, were apparently not aware of the type of content that the TikTok user creates; hence, criticisms were aplenty.
Initially, foreverband’s fans showered his “prank” with praise, pointing out, “They don’t like that feeling huh 😂” and “They hate the reverse roles…. This is great I love it.” Even so, some believe that there might be a better way to convey this message without resorting to supposed legal violations, according to a commenter, “Literally a civil rights violation caught on camera.”
Even some Black people chimed in on the comment section, “I love my people, but why are we doing this? We can’t put every white person in the same category. I’m not diminishing what we have been through, but we shouldn’t be harassing people just for the heck of it.” Meanwhile, others think the TikTok user was doing more harm than good with his joke, claiming, “It was never about ‘equality.’ It’s about revenge.” For the record, the TikTok user has never really clarified his intentions in his video.
