Ex-NBA player uses Facebook to shame woman who wouldn’t let him have a seat on train

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Ex Washington Wizard Etan Thomas used Facebook to shame a woman he claims wouldn’t let him sit next to her but then promptly let a white dude have the seat.

According to Thomas, the story goes like this:

Ok so I’m getting on the train and there are no open seats and I ask this lady if I could sit next to her (very politely and I soften my voice as to not frighten her) and she says someone is sitting here. So I go to the next seat. Now, less than 2 mins later a man (who happens to be white) asks if he can sit there and she says why sure let me move my stuff…

While it is impossible to substantiate the details of Thomas’ story, one always needs to consider the source. In this case, the source is an established pillar of the community, an award-winning social activist, author, who travels the country speaking at churches and universities about fatherhood. We’re just going to leave that right there.

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According to The Washington Post, this is not Thomas’ first experience with perceived racial bias.  Thomas who is 6’10 with dreadlocks wrote about the way he is treated because of his appearance:

“I’m often slapped in the face with harsh realities about perception. Like when I’m driving in a nice car in a white neighborhood in Virginia, and I get pulled over pretty much for being black. Or, when I walk past a white woman and she thinks I want to snatch her purse, and becomes all nervous to the point where I get uncomfortable myself.”

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