The list of racial discrimination incidents around American Airlines continues to grow, this time with artist Joey Baddass.
On Sunday (Jan. 28), the rapper shared his experience with the highly criticized airline, accusing them of racial profiling. The “Land of The Free” creator was attempting to place his bags in the first class area, since he was carrying a first class ticket. Instead, he was met by a flight attendant who assumed he was trying to sneak his bags in the area.
https://twitter.com/joeyBADASS/status/957770436116434945
https://twitter.com/joeyBADASS/status/957771061310959616
“American Airlines is the best airline for racial discrimination,” he said. A rep replied on Twitter with an apology, but the rapper wasn’t having it. “Be honest, you guys said this just for Twitter,” he said. “Didn’t see anyone waiting to meet me when I arrived and even if there was, trust I wasn’t interested.”
https://twitter.com/joeyBADASS/status/958006391196864512
The incident comes after many high-profile people of color faced a similar situation. At the end of 2017, the airline issued an apology to two players on the Memphis Grizzlies’ minor league after they were falsely accused of stealing blankets. Women’s March organizer Tamika Mallory was kicked off a flight after an incident with the employees. Those incidents, along with a long list of others, inspired the NAACP to issue a travel advisory for African-Americans.
“The NAACP for several months now has been monitoring a pattern of disturbing incidents reported by African-American passengers, specific to American Airlines,” the statement reads. “In light of these confrontations, we have today taken the action of issuing national advisory alerting travelers—especially African Americans—to exercise caution, in that booking and boarding flights on American Airlines could subject them disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions.”