In August, a group of women who all belong to the same book club were enjoying themselves and laughing as the Napa Valley Wine Train rumbled across California’s wine country. But revelry of a certain amplitude is intolerable on this train, apparently, and so they were asked to quiet down.
When they failed to do so, they were marched through numerous cars to waiting police officers who escorted them onto buses heading home. One of them was in her eighties.
And all but one of the 11 women were black.
The incident spread like wildfire across the internet, as #Laughingwhileblack trended on Twitter and new debates ignited about racism in America. It would seem that laughing, like running (or walking, or swimming, or driving, or wearing hoodies, or going on road trips) were things black people simply couldn’t do with the same freedom as whites.
In response to the attention, The Napa Valley Wine Train posted a comment on Facebook claiming that “Following verbal and physical abuse toward other guests and staff, it was necessary to get our police involved,” but the comment was quickly deleted (the company has since apologized). “That’s not who we are. We are beautiful professional women who would not use violence in any way,” said Lisa Johnson, a member of the club. “I’m very traumatized by the picture they’ve painted of us.”
According to Johnson, “[The maître d’hotel] said people were complaining and I said, ‘Who’s complaining?’ And she said, ‘Well, people’s faces are uncomfortable,’” said Johnson. “At that point, one passenger nearby said, ‘Well, this is not a bar.’ We reacted, ‘Yes, it is a bar, a bar on wheels.’”
Not the first time
Last April a graduate nursing student at the University of California in San Francisco named Norma Ruiz was celebrating her 28th birthday on the same train with a party of 10 people, “all Latino individuals,” according to Ruiz, when a patron approached them “to say that they were being annoying and loud.”
They moved to the dining car on the instructions of a waiter, lowered their voices, and were told to be quiet once again by a different employee. “We were not making noise, we felt very uncomfortable the way we were being approached and [they were] embarrassing our group in front of everyone,” Ruiz said.
A violation of civil rights?
The women of the book club are being represented by prominent civil rights attorney Waukeen McCoy, who commented on the case in an interview, “It is malicious in how they posted false statements about this group of women to say that these women were physically abusive. I think it’s worth a lot of money… One case can render $500,000, so because there are so many plaintiffs…once the jury hears their story, they are going to be compelling.”
McCoy said the case could become a class-action lawsuit if more people who feel they were unfairly targeted by train company staff come forward. He is meeting with the NAACP to discuss coordinated action against the company, including a possible boycott, and has sent a demand letter.
The legacy of “white spaces”
Cultural critics have used the incident to highlight how African-Americans (along with other minorities) are required to navigate the “white space” as a condition of their existence. Those critics also point out that white people have a hidden power that can be wielded in the form of complaining to train attendants or calling police over pool parties because the music is too loud or some element of the gathering or behavior is unsettling them.
These kinds of episodes have undoubtedly been happening for a long time. The difference is that the internet and social media have allowed them to emerge in the public discourse. Conversations are not always catered to and filtered through a cultural majority. Our information-crazy world has created access and visibility that never previously existed.
Unfortunately, it usually takes a group of women being kicked off a train—or an arrest, or a public humiliation, or a gunshot—to get the conservation started.
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10 comments
Rudy Martin
I think that WE ALL are tired of walking on egg shells. ALL rules apply to EVERYONE! The mannerism that these passengers were behaving is simply subjective. It's hard to say what actually happened without witnesses coming forth. Also, I'm sure the train company did not need this controversial episode. It's simply bad publicity for ALL. And for those select few, stop trying to put out the fire with gasoline.
Juan Villegas
This is nonsense
JB
Seriously, if your race now allows you to behave any way you see fit, AND to be able to capitalize with some media exposure and a cash prize. . . .it's trending. And it's counter productive to real efforts in race relations in America today. It was their behavior that was identified and subsequently removed.
tom
Hear hear, Jay!
Summary of the article; minorities can disturb the peace and do not have to follow normal rules that apply to everyone else. When they are told to follow the rules, it's not "being-obnoxious-while-any-color" rather it's "racism-because-I'm-a minority".
I've been in that 'minority' myself. That is, "rude, crude and totally offensive to the people around" us who spent time and/or money to have a nice time. The fact that I was a white college kid did not prevent the operators from coming by and telling us to knock it off.
Jay
I think it's extremely inconsiderate when people laugh loudly and obnoxiously over and over again, disrupting the tranquility of a train ride while enjoying a peaceful glass of wine. It's rude to think just because you pay for a ticket you can treat the train like its your personal limo on the Vegas strip! In the end it was a great opportunity for a cash grab for a group of people who felt they should be paid for their belligerence.
kiljoy616
Your racism is showing. You know what is really rude when you assume that they where been disruptive. Because they where laughing. When anyone calls police it has nothing to do with reality and has everything to do with a fantasy that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Personally these women should have called the police on the police because racism is illegal in our country. Time for a big lawsuit and put hicks in their place.
Mike
Killjoy, first it is NOT illegal to be a racist nor is racisim illegal.
Second none of us were present during these encounters. We do not know what occurred, if alcohol played a factor or what. What we do know is we now live in a bubble. We are the only person we are concerned with. God forbid we have to curtail our behavior for others so they too may be allowed to enjoy what they are doing.
Areyoukidding
"Put the hicks in their place" um whose racism is showing? Obviously the train company is trying to promote a quiet peaceful train ride. I'm curious if they inform prospective passengers that there are certain rules of expected behavior during the ride. If it were white people laughing and being boistorous they should receive the same treatment.
MPM
This shouldn't be a race issue or gender issue or sexulal preference issue. Rude is rude. My ethnic background is Irish and Italian, and I have a sister who has an OBNOXIOUS, VERY LOUD cackle of a laugh she thinks is "cute." NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE thinks she is cute. She's a rude embarrassment to herself. If someone is unnecessarily loud, whose behavior is not befitting of a certain environment then it IS rude. People should act accordingly. The fact that rules have to be posted to instruct adults how to properly act in public speaks volumes...common courtesy IS dead.
Derrick
Agreed