A video of a black San Francisco State University student employee confronting a white student for having dreadlocks is going viral. Many people chiming in are upset that the employee, who SF Weekly identified as Bonita Tindle, targeted the student, identified as Cory Goldstein, because of his race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDlQ4H0Kdg8The footage begins with Tindle asking her trench-coated friend if he has a pair of scissors to cut off Goldstein's hair, and only escalates from there.
Goldstein asks, "You're saying that I can't have a hairstyle because of your culture. Why?" Tindle responds by asserting, "Because it's my culture."
The skirmish continues as Goldstein points out that dreadlocks come from ancient Egypt. As he tries walking away from the altercation, Tindle blocks his path and grabs him, only to stop after realizing she's being filmed.
Goldstein told KRON4 News that the altercation began when Tindle pulled back a flier she was handing out to students and told him, "sorry we don't want people with your hair here."
The incident is stirring a wave of anger across the spectrum, providing fodder for conservative websites to bash the progressive left for using terms like "cultural appropriation," while liberal sites such as The Root have written that white people can have dreadlocks but should be prepared for scrutiny.
Tindle has since deleted her social media accounts, while Goldstein took to Facebook to tell people he was shaken but ultimately alright, and also implied his left-leaning ideological views in his refusal to speak with Fox News.
In a series of Facebook posts dated Monday, March 28, 2016 that have since made private or deleted, Goldstein wrote:
I just got physically assaulted because I have dreadlocks woe
Hey all so I wanted to mention that I am not filing any criminal charges against the girl who harassed me yesterday....
Lol fox news just called me trying to get rights to the video xD Swerve yeah how about no lol
Just so people know ^-^
He even used the opportunity to promote his SoundClound account, which describes his DJ style as "Freeform Hardcore...utilizing tracks with hard hitting bass-lines, euphoric melodies, old school vibes, and acid rifts."
Hey all I just wanted to post my newest mix! No cultures where hurt in the making of this mix
Listen to his track 'Liberation Of The Purist Vol. 1' below.
Update 3/30/2016 4:32 pm: This post has been updated to reflect that Goldstein's Facebook posts have since been deleted or made private.