Thread by @AmberJPhillips

I'm tired but in the morning, I'll tell you all how a white woman @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops on me bc I made the white woman siting next to me uncomfortable bc my arm was touching hers on flight AA5580. The cops were called on me for flying while fat & Black.

This was my view tonight because I made a white woman uncomfortable and held her accountable by AT LEAST making sure I documented her outrageous behavior of trying to humiliate me on a flight. @AmericanAir put my life and the life of other passagers in danger tonight.

This white woman literally spent the entire 45 minute flight making an active scene bc my arm was touching hers. Loudly asking if I could "move over" on a plane so small everyone's carryon bags had to be valeted. It was awful!

When I decided to take a picture & video to document the incident, I deplaned, picked up my bag, and boarded the shuttle. While I'm on the shuttle, this woman LIED that I assaulted her and the @AmericanAir flight attendant called the cops to remove me from the shuttle bus.

This WW & the @AmericanAir FA tried to humiliate me. The FA yelled into the shuttle that she was calling the cops based on nothing but the lies of this WW. I'm so grateful I knw to ask questions like "Am I being detained?" to speak the same launage as the cops to get home safe.

Also! My hair was patted down by @TSA before boarding the @AmericanAir flight that led to the cops being called on me because MY ARM WAS TOO CLOSE TO A WHITE WOMAN.

A horror movie and inside look to flying while Black as someone who has to fly ALL THE TIME.

Now that I'm awake I want to add that I was going to let this white woman get away with how she treated me. I decide to take the picture & video after we landed and the pilot announced that we were 25 minutes early. This was a super short flight from North Carolina to DCA.

When this WW sat back in her seat during landing after leaning forward on her seat tray for most of the flight, she was able to sit back comfortably without touching me. That was my final straw. She made the CHOICE to act out and make me feel like shit when she didn't have to.

She knew she was wrong. She knew I was going to hold her accountable with my pictures and that's when she decided to pair up with the white @AmericanAir flight attendant to call the cops on me after I was already off the plane and on the shuttle to go home.

While waiting on the shuttle another passager ask me if I was ok. I said no and that I was afraid. I asked the woman "Will you take my number? And if something happens to me, please record it and send it to me." because my phone was dying and I didn't want to die without proof.

Can you imagine? Trying to find eyes of compassion to give someone the courage to document you in case you harm or murdered by the police?!

When the cop came, a white man, I watched as he spent serval minutes speaking with the 2 WW. He then walked over to me and asked me to step off the shuttle. I did.

He asked for my ID. As I looking for my ID, I asked if he asked for the other woman's ID. He aggressively responded to me by saying "I'm not dealing with your abuse! Give me your ID!" I handed him my passport and he yanked it out of my hand.

I'm sure that my Blackness and PASSPORT threw him for a loop because he asked if I had another form of ID. I said no. He asked if I lived in Maryland. I said "No. I live in Washington, DC. This is my home."

I then asked, "Would you like to know what happened?" Aggressive again he said "NO! I'm investigating this as an assault!" I very calmly said "Wow, ok." I backed up and made sure my hands were visible which upset the officer as well and he called in for an additional cop, yall!!!

The 2nd cop came who was w/ the gate manager. And the gate manager, a kind Black woman, and the eyes of the countless Black folks who work on the Tarmac were my saving grace. They were eyes and I knew I needed eyes. The gate manager was the first person to ask me "What happened?"

I told her. But even the 2nd cop decided to talk to me about my "behavior" with the previous cop instead of the incident. The cop told me that they were required to speak w/ the WW from the plane first because she was the "victim" despite the FACT no crimes were committed.

As the 2nd cop started to lecture me like a child, I asked her "Am I being detained?" She said "No." I asked, "Am I free to go?" She said "You have to wait bc you can't just walk off the tarmac. It's dangerous." GO FIGURE! We're all in danger bc of an @americanair FA and this WW.

But that's how I got home. A gate manager named Anita and asking the right questions. And the fact that I did NOTHING wrong. I left a report with the gate manager. The police never asked me for a statement. Only my ID.

Ugh. I'm so sad. When I realized I only had 11% battery left on my phone, I can honestly say I was deeply terrified. I used the last 2% of my battery to call my friend and colleague to tell her where I was and what to do if something happened to me. @AmericanAir

I have a few updates as I mange to maintain some sense of safety & normalcy in my life.

I've heard NOTHING frm @AmericanAir. They have repeatedly stated that it's their "obligation" to contact law enforcement at the request of passengers which is exactly the problem.

I did nothing wrong and the @AmericanAir flight attendant should've been active in projecting my safety as much as any other passenger by not aimlessly calling the cops at the request of a racist and bias costumer.

Not only did the @AmericanAir FA call the cops but she participated in assuming my "guilt" based on the word of a passenger without ever seeking additional information from me.

I recently heard back from the gate manager who was one of the few people who treated me with kindness, respect, and worked to defuse the situation to make sure I made it home that night.

That's about it. Sorry for the mistake early. This situation has me STRESSED.