The hashtag #IStandWithErica trended on Twitter on Saturday after a black Georgia state lawmaker said she was told to “go back where you came from” as she shopped at a grocery store.
State Rep. Erica Thomas (D), minority vice chairwoman in the Georgia state House, tweeted Friday that she was “verbally assaulted” at the supermarket by a white man who told her she was “a lazy SOB” because she had more than the maximum items to enter an express lane.
Today I was verbally assaulted in the grocery store by a white man who told me I was a lazy SOB and to go back to where I came from bc I had to many items in the express lane. My husband wasn’t there to defend me because he is on Active Duty serving the country I came from USA!
— Erica Thomas (@itsericathomas) July 20, 2019
Thomas recounted the exchange in a Facebook Live video that has since been reposted to Twitter.
"I’m at the grocery store, and I’m in the aisle that says '10 items or less.' Yes, I have 15 items, but I’m nine months pregnant, and I can’t stand up for long," Thomas says in the video through tears. "And this white man comes up to me and says, 'You lazy son of a bitch.'"
"He says, 'You lazy son of a bitch. You need to go back where you came from,'" Thomas continues, adding that she tried to explain that she was pregnant and not lazy. "It hurt me so bad. ... I couldn't get anything out. I could just tell him, 'Please leave me alone.'"
We have a serious problem in this Country when @itsericathomas is subjected to racism in a Cobb County @Publix in front of her daughter. #gapol. #IStandwithErica thank you @RenittaShannon for alerting me and the @NAACPGA. #NoPlaceforHate. pic.twitter.com/hN5HDS4aG9
— Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) July 20, 2019
Hundreds used the hashtag to show support for Thomas, including actress Patricia Arquette, who tweeted Saturday that the video was “MANDATORY VIEWING” and added that “WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS CANCER TO GROW.”
MANDATORY VIEWING - NO THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. NO WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS CANCER TO GROW. NO THIS CANNOT BE NORMALIZED. #IStandwithErica #racism https://t.co/MJeJOpQtwW
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) July 20, 2019
The now-viral video comes less than a week after President Trump
Donald John TrumpBiden to nominate Linda Thomas-Greenfield for UN ambassador: reports Scranton dedicates 'Joe Biden Way' to honor president-elect Kasich: Republicans 'either in complete lockstep' or 'afraid' of Trump MORE attacked a group of minority progressive congresswomen — Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOcasio-Cortez defends Harry Styles wearing dress on Vogue cover: 'It looks wonderful' Democrats' squabbling vindicates Biden non-campaign GOP congresswoman-elect wants to form Republican 'Squad' called 'The Force' MORE (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarGOP congresswoman-elect wants to form Republican 'Squad' called 'The Force' OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden eyes new leadership at troubled public lands agency | House progressives tout their growing numbers in the chamber at climate rally | Trump administration pushes for rollback of Arctic offshore drilling regulations House progressives tout their growing numbers in the chamber at climate rally MORE (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley
Ayanna PressleyGOP congresswoman-elect wants to form Republican 'Squad' called 'The Force' Pelosi faces caucus divisions in Biden era Record number of Black women elected to Congress in 2020 MORE (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Harbi TlaibDemocrats brush off calls for Biden to play hardball on Cabinet picks GOP congresswoman-elect wants to form Republican 'Squad' called 'The Force' OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden eyes new leadership at troubled public lands agency | House progressives tout their growing numbers in the chamber at climate rally | Trump administration pushes for rollback of Arctic offshore drilling regulations MORE (Mich.) — tweeting Sunday that they should “go back” to their home countries despite the fact that all four are U.S. citizens and only Omar was born outside the U.S.
At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, supporters erupted into “send her back” chants targeting Omar after Trump attacked the freshman congresswoman, who came to the U.S. as a Somali refugee when she was a child.
