A woman of color on TikTok shared a video of herself refusing to move for white people while walking on a sidewalk. What happened was a shock to viewers.
The woman, known as Katie Grace Jacobs (@katiegracejacobs) shared the video as a stitch to another TikToker’s (@oliviachow69) advice. The latter TikToker shared a viral video advising people of color, especially women, to refuse to move for white people when walking and see how many of them move out of the way.
Jacobs decided to try it, saying she’d never noticed that many white people don’t move for others. In her video, she covers her mouth, then gasps and laughs.
The TikToker walks down a sidewalk and has to navigate between other people who refused to move for her. She appears to bump into people as a result several times.
The TikToker’s video went viral with about 1.3 million views as of Tuesday. Jacobs wasn’t the only one who said they hadn’t noticed this before.
“Never realized. (White people) be taking up majority of the block and expect u to move,” one viewer commented on the video.
Other viewers shared their advice or insights from refusing to step aside for white people.
“if you have a confident walk and stare straight ahead everyone will move out of the way,” one viewer suggested.
Another viewer said, “And if they bump into you just say ‘excuse you.'”
“I also say ‘MOVE’ as I pass too,” one user wrote. Another user advised, “STAND YOUR GROUND! Put the shoulder into it!”
Some white women on the app said they have similar experiences with men and refuse to step aside for them. Some non-white women agreed, saying they refuse to move aside for men of all ethnicities.
“I do this with men all the time,” one white woman commented.
“I never move for men so they always walk in to me but i move for every woman hahaha,” another white woman said.
“Don’t move out of the way for white people or men. I’ve been doing that lately and I get bumped ALL the time. But it feels so empowering,” one non-white woman wrote.
“Normally it’s a man (any race) with me. Every time we walk the same way they expect me to move,” another non-white woman commented.
In a comment on her video, Jacobs wrote, “Not all white people:) but if you’re white and try to be aware of this then I thank you :).”
The Daily Dot reached out to Jacobs via TikTok comment.
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