Viral video sparks debate after white man calls black man "boy"

The internet reacted strongly to a video of a Black man retaliating after a White man with a disability affecting his arms was heard using a racial slur. The video begins with the White man calling a Black man “boy.” Although the word is commonly used to refer to male children, it has historically been used as a racial slur, especially when directed at a Black man.

The video begins with a Black man recording a White man wearing a pink shirt while a woman attempts to calm the situation. The man in the pink shirt appears visibly agitated and repeatedly acts aggressively as another man steps in to restrain him. While the video doesn’t capture the exact moment of the man using the word “boy,” the Black man and another woman can be heard arguing over his use of the term.

Internet Reacts to the Viral Confrontation

After hearing the slur, the Black man becomes visibly angry and responds by calling the White man a “T-Rex,” mocking his physical disability affecting his hands. The brief video ends with the man walking away from the White man and the rest of the group following the altercation.

As the video circulated online, users were quick to comment on the video. Some users replied with GIFs of dinosaurs, while one user wrote, “He’s really holding him back like he’s able to do something.”

Another wrote, “Lmfao! Why can’t they just leave black people and black bodies alone? Why can’t they just leave people’s personal information, people’s personal property, animals, pets, and children alone?” A third wrote, “If you think ‘boy’ is a compliment, you’ve clearly never seen the dinosaur-level ignorance that comes with it.”

What Does the Supreme Court Say About the Word “Boy” as a Racial Slur?

The comment was directed at users who tried to take the White man’s side, claiming that he was actually complimenting the man by calling him “boy.” According to Justia Law, the Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that “boy” can carry racist connotations even without a racial adjective. Historically, Black men have been called “boy” as a way to demean them.

During the Jim Crow era, White people often addressed Black men as “boy” to demean them and deny them equal status. In modern times, for a court to determine whether “boy” was used as a racial slur, context is required. The speaker’s tone at the time the word is used is important, and so is the context of the conversation.