A Target worker is putting their co-worker on blast after finding out they had been removing daily Black History Month facts written on a whiteboard for employees to see.
In a recent TikTok video, Orquinazia Scott (@orquinaziascott), who is a Black woman, explains how she’s been writing Black history facts on a whiteboard located in the back of the Target store she works at. Lately, however, she’s noticed that her facts are being erased.
“Ya’ll, the thing don’t even be staying up for 24 hours,” Scott says in the video.
@orquinaziascott I feel like the being passive aggressively racist .. idk🤷🏾♀️✊🏾✊🏾 ##blackpower##blackhistorymonth##Thewhitemanwontkeepmedown##strongblackwomen ♬ original sound – Orquinazia Scott
She says the first fact she wrote, she attempted to keep it “light and airy,” given that she works at Target.
The first fact detailed how a Black man influenced Elvis’s style of dancing. For decades Black people have spoken out about how Elvis has been applauded for his style of dancing and singing that is highly influenced by Black culture, while Black musicians have had to endure intense discrimination while doing the same form of entertainment Elvis was praised for.
Scott notes that she also included facts about how Seneca Village, a once bustling Black community in New York City, had been turned into Central Park, displacing many of its original Black inhabitants.
In her original video, Scott says she wouldn’t let whoever was erasing the facts deter her from continuing to enlighten her co-workers.
“So tonight, I’m [going] to put up yet another Black history fact, and if I come back tomorrow, and it’s erased—not by me—it’s gone be a problem.”
@orquinaziascott Thats how i know it’s intentional.. yall couldnt even leave “happy black history month” up 😐 .. #fyp #theWhiteManIsMad #Blm #blacktiktok ♬ original sound – Orquinazia Scott
In follow-up videos, Scott further chronicles how Black history facts are getting erased from the whiteboard and eventually uses a permanent marker on the board to inhibit someone from erasing it. She makes sure the words “Happy Black History Month” and “Black! Lives! Matter!” are written using Sharpie.
“Y’all keep trying to erase our history, but I can do this all day,” Scott says in the clip.
In her latest video, the TikToker claims a friend had notified her of a co-worker who had taken down the whiteboard. Scott called the co-worker “Ashley,” and said she works in human resources.
“I was just too stunned to speak,” Scott recalls.
@orquinaziascott Sorry for the wait but i didnt wanna be loud AND wrong .. but i will keep this energy because yall gon learn something about my black history ✊🏾 #Blm #loudblackwomen ♬ original sound – Orquinazia Scott
She then details how her manager called up “Ashley” so Scott could inquire why the whiteboard was taken down.
“So I proceed to ask [Ashley], ‘Were the facts too real? Or did the Black Lives Matter tick you off? Because I need to know why my board is gone and where it is,’” Scott says, recounting their conversation.
“Ashley” then proceeded to lie, Scott claims, and told her someone brought the whiteboard to her and she didn’t take them down. “Ashley” also argued there was another area employees could find information to celebrate Black History Month.
“Y’all ain’t nobody touched that stand since last year,” Scott explains. “It’s been the same since last year.”
Scott went on to correct herself, noting that the particular board had been changed but only to highlight Women’s Equality Day. Books were placed in front of the board highlighting Black History, but Scott argues, “Ain’t nobody picking up no book and reading at work. Put a fact [on the board], a quick one, so they can get about their day.”
“Ashley” also suggested Scott write down facts and give them to her to place on the whiteboard instead of Scott, she says, which Scott refused to do. The TikToker expressed how she was surprised by her co-worker’s behavior, especially because they’re also a person of color.
“She’s not even white y’all,” Scott says. “That’s what’s mind-boggling. Like you have the same challenges as me. A group of people don’t like you, and you have a problem with me trying to enlighten that group of people?”
Commenters seemed to rally around Scott and call out her co-worker for giving a false impression of being concerned about diversity.
“This is something I’ve seen time and time again with HR,” one commenter said in response to Scott’s latest video. “Diversity and Inclusion is a part of their management and is never taught correctly.”
“I was surprised to see this happened at the red store because they like to pretend like [Black History Month] is so important to them and advertise it heavily,” another person said.
Target has not responded to The Daily Dot’s request for comment. The Daily Dot reached out to Scott via TikTok comment.
Update 2:53pm CT, Feb. 24, 2023: In an interview with the Daily Dot, Scott said she not only wanted to inform others of the good Black history, but of the bad as well.
“I honestly just wanted people to learn new facts, not the same old ones we learn in school every year,” she said via TikTok direct message. “I haven’t been able to keep writing my Black history facts and she took all the boards down for good.”
She said there were some negative comments but for the most part, everyone was supporting her.
