Florida man compares himself to Rosa Parks in mask protest on United flight
Adam Jenne told flight attendants that he was in compliance with the mask mandate because his nose and mouth were covered by the red underwear.
A Cape Coral, Florida man was kicked off a United Airlines flight for testing the mask mandate by wearing a pair of women’s underwear as a face mask, NBC2 reported. He later compared himself to Rosa Parks.
Adam Jenne told flight attendants on Dec. 15 that he was in compliance with the mask mandate because his nose and mouth were covered by the red thong underwear. However, Jenne was kicked off the flight because the airline didn’t agree.
“I think the best way to illustrate absurdity is with absurdity,” Jenne told NBC2. He said that this was not the first time he tried his panty stunt. “Every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew,” said Jenne. “Some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational.”
Jenne said previously he was usually able to travel to his destination, but this time was different. He was removed from the plane and has said that he is no longer able to fly United.
“It’s nonsense, it’s all nonsense, covid doesn’t know that we’re cruising at altitude. It’s stupid, the whole thing is theatre,” he added per The Hill.
“Everything that has sparked change in this country has started from everyday people,” Jenne said. “Rosa Parks was nobody famous. She changed the course of history.”
Parks was the secretary of the Montgomery NAACP for 12 years and founded the Montgomery NAACP Youth Council in the early 1940s. On December 1, 1955, Parks was seated in the first seat of the “colored section” of a bus when the driver asked Parks and three other Black men in the colored section to give up their seats for white passengers.
All three riders moved from their seats while Parks refused in specific, planned tactic to test the legality of the segregation ordinance. Parks was removed from the bus, arrested, and charged. Her actions lead to the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Per The Hill, the Federal Aviation Authority said in September that it had received more than 4,300 reports of unruly passenger incidents, the vast majority of which were related to masks.
Jenne said that more passengers left the flight which was headed to D.C. in solidarity with him.
United Airlines said in a statement, “The customer clearly wasn’t in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to takeoff, avoiding any potential disruptions in the air.”
Comedian Trevor Noah zinged the man on his show saying, “Rosa Parks? My man, don’t be so modest!” Noah began. “You’re more than Rosa Parks! If anything, you’re the Martin Luther King of white dudes comparing themselves to Black heroes for no reason.”
“You know, for real, sometimes I think conservatives are right: America shouldn’t be teaching the history of racism in schools, because then at least white people wouldn’t know who to compare themselves to when they get kicked off of airplanes for doing dumb sh*t.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Acting Up”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
