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via Angie Jones / Twitter and Matt Blaze / Flickr

10 Black women sat in first class on an airplane and it revealed a lot about race in America

Software developer Angie Jones' recent girls' trip revealed that America still has a long way to go regarding race. To most, that's not surprising. But what's unique is how the specific experience Jones and her friends went through revealed the pervasive way systemic racism still runs through our culture.

Jones is the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Applitools, holds 26 patented inventions in the United States of America and Japan, and is an IBM Master Inventor.

On July 27, she tweeted about a flight she took with nine other Black women, and they all sat in first class. "People literally could not process how it was possible," she wrote. "Staff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled 'are they a higher class of people than I am?!'"


Jones and her friends were the targets of racism that ranged from the seemingly unconscious — people who assumed that Black people don't sit in first class — to the blatant — those who were seriously bothered that Black people were being treated as having a higher status.

It's interesting that she didn't mention anyone saying "good for you" for succeeding in a world that often holds people of color back. Instead, she was greeted with incredulity and jealous rage.

There are a lot of white people who can't stand the idea of a Black person being elevated above them. It's disturbing that there are still some who will admit it publicly.

Jones' tweets inspired a lot of people to share their stories about the racism they've experienced while flying first class.



Jones' tweets also angered some people to the point that they denied her story. She responded, "To those saying I'm lying, you're a huge part of the problem," she wrote. "You tell yourself a notable person is lying (for what reason, I cannot figure out) before you believe there are actual racists in...America."

One Twitter user gave the perfect retort to the person who asked, "Are they a higher class of people than I am?!"

The sight of 10 affluent women of color was upsetting to some, probably because it upset their sense of racial hierarchy. To those who have the ingrained feeling that white people should always be above Black people, it had to be a shock to the system. Especially when they are sitting in economy and the Black women are in first class. To those who harbor racial resentment, they probably had to confront their own feelings of insecurity when seeing that these Black women have been able to succeed in a world where they're supposed to be on the bottom rung of the social ladder.

This article originally appeared three years ago.


The 2018 World Cup has been wildly incredible.

From nail-biting penalties, unexpected underdog wins, and some truly unique fan costumes, the series has become a summer pastime for many citizens around the world.

Image by AFP/Getty Images.


As the competition winds down, several European countries are fighting for the coveted World Cup. In addition to some truly superhuman skills on display, national teams from finalist countries like France and Britain have showcased and amplified another invaluable characteristics too.

The semi-finals in 2018 include some of the most diverse European teams ever.

Photo by  Clive Rose/Getty Images.

With players like Kylian Mbappé and Paul Pogba on the French national team and Dele Alli and Kyle Walker on the English national team, European teams in the World Cup are showing just how valuable diversity is.

As billions cheers for their respective teams around the country, watching teams that represent countries that have a fraught colonialist history being led by men of color is extremely important. Men of color, whether they are immigrants or born in their countries of citizenship, often face incomparable challenges in Europe and around the globe. From discrimination in hiring, racism on the field, and struggling to prove their commitment to their countries, men of color often face additional pressure in sports that are broadcast to predominately European viewers.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images.

However, society is changing. As people continue to stand up against racism toward immigrants and players of color, the World Cup is just one more example of the value diversity adds.

A diverse team is a winning team.

As we celebrate diversity on the soccer field, it’s important to also keep in mind that we shouldn’t only show respect and praise to people with amazing athletic skill. We should value and respect the contribution of everyday citizens too.

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images.

While it’s awesome and incredibly fun to support our athletes, celebrities, and heroes, people should also be respectful of immigrants and migrants they encounter in everyday activities as well. They are just as valuable and worthy of civil rights as anyone else. The World Cup shows us that making diversity a priority is both beneficial for excellence and for representation.

Regardless of the outcome of the games, the World Cup has highlighted the importance of diversity in events that emphasize national pride. People of color are all over the world. They’re worthy of respect, and nations can become even better when they support them wholeheartedly.

On June 26, 2018, a 28-year-old Puerto Rican Bronx native made some remarkable women's history.

In a stunning upset, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the first woman of color to win in New York's 14th district.

Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images.


As the first woman of color to even run for the seat, Ocasio-Cortez unseated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, marking a new era for progressive politics and the far reach of women of color in American government.

In what some declared a losing battle, Ocasio-Cortez ran a campaign as far to the left as one can imagine in American politics. She boldly called for the abolition of ICE after a horrific immigration debacle at the Texas border and unflinchingly ran on a platform of economic, social, and racial justice for all without accepting any political action committee (PAC) money, a largely unheard of fundraising strategy in politics.

Ocasio-Cortez was warned not to run as many said she'd never have a career in politics again. She was told that going against someone who'd been a Democratic powerhouse for decades — and was expected to take Nancy Pelosi's place as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives — was a losing battle. Many news outlets and pundits refused to even say her name or report on her campaign.

And yet, she kept going. And it worked.

It's safe to say that Ocasio-Cortez, while always confident in the platforms she was running behind, was as surprised as the pollsters were. But, she sprang into action quickly after.

Using social media to attract a mass of supporters and canvassers, Ocasio-Cortez spoke in neighborhoods, rallied at various events for underrepresented communities, and ran with endorsements from groups that aren't necessarily the most well-funded or mainstream. She did it on purpose, representing a city that wanted change — and wanted it on its on terms.

"This race is about people versus money," Ocasio-Cortez says in her campaign video. "We've got people; they've got money. It's time that we acknowledge that not all Democrats are the same."

Regardless of where you stand on the issues, Ocasio-Cortez's win is a beautiful display of the power of sticking to one's convictions in the face of adversity.

Having worked as a bartender to help with family bills just last year, Ocasio-Cortez has an up close and personal understanding of inequality, particularly for marginalized groups.

Oscasio-Cortez recently went to the Texas border to see what was happening with the current administration's disastrous immigration policy. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Her historic win is inspiration for women and people of color around the nation. Ocasio-Cortez reminds us all that democracy is fueled by those who believe in it. Ocasio-Cortez believed in her community, she believed in those who needed helped most, and she unapologetically carried those beliefs until the last ballot was cast.

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The BKLYN Fashion Academy had its first fashion show. The looks are fierce.

"The diversity in this program allowed the work to speak for itself and shows that talent has no color."

A new fashion academy in Brooklyn is focusing on designers and models of color.

All photos courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library.

The BKLYN Fashion Academy is a 12-week intensive program that provides 15 aspiring womenswear designers with the necessary tools to succeed in the fashion industry.


Leading the charge on the program's design and curriculum is Brooklyn Library Outreach Specialist Lynnsie Augustin. She developed the program not only to create a space to feature the designers' work, but also to provide them with the business knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in such a highly competitive industry.

"The BKLYN Fashion Academy became a way for designers to learn all they needed to know to go into business for themselves, as well as provide a space where they could work on their designs and have a stage where they could show them off," writes Augustin in an email.      

Organized by the Brooklyn Public Library, the program has truly taken off. In addition to providing students with education and tools, the program culminated in the stunning Mode En Couleur Runway Show at the historic Brooklyn Library.

Bklyn Fashion Academy Mode En Couleur Runyway Show

We do not own the rights to this music.

Posted by BPL Business & Career Center on Friday, May 11, 2018

Designers showcased all their hard work on the runway to a packed house.

The result? Incredible designs.

The show was inspired by "Les Sapeurs," a Congolese subculture in which individuals committed to the cult of style amid widespread poverty walk the streets dressed to the nines.

"When this program was created, I wanted to incorporate an aspect of fashion that people may not know about," says Augustin. "It gave the designers a chance to do some research on Les Sapeurs and learn about another area of the world that is dedicated to innovative fashion and creativity. It was a chance to bring awareness and to inspire more creativity."

Designer Sharufa Rashied-Walker believes that this theme could've only happened at a program like the BKLYN Fashion Academy, where diversity and art that reflects people of color are championed.

"There was a sense of security and safety in that space, and it was definitely noncompetitive and loving, and you felt the support," says Rashied-Walker. "[The leadership] definitely made it very clear that they were here to support and to cultivate what we needed and what we wanted. And I think that that was something very special. I've never personally experienced anything like that before, and I think it definitely was indicative of the fact that it was a majority of color collective."

Rashied-Walker, who switched to fashion after a corporate career, found a place of creativity and freedom of expression when surrounded by students that largely looked like her. Yet the students were selected simply by the contents of their applications, not by what they themselves looked like.

"The BKLYN Fashion Academy was open to all residents of Brooklyn and the selection process was made based on applications and sample garments, so we never got to see the designers' faces until after they were accepted and came to orientation," says Augustin. "I would say the diversity in this program allowed the work to speak for itself and shows that talent has no color."

Judging by the incredible designs, it's clear that the work speaks to the talent and brilliance of the students — a welcome shift in the fashion industry.