Chelsea Mayes was enjoying a pleasant dinner with her friends on a Sunday evening at a Cheddar’s restaurant in Tennessee. They laughed, ate heartily and were served by a seemingly kind waitress who they tipped generously. But when Mayes arrived home she was met with a text message that tarnished the feel-good mood she was in.
Her friend had sent her a screenshot of a Snapchat image that contained a racial slur. Mayes immediately recognised the person behind the image. It was the same waitress who had served her and her friends dinner earlier that night.
“I’m so hung over and have a section full of n** right now,” the Snapchat selfie caption read.
Judging by the time it was sent out the twenty-two year old says there is no doubt it was directed at her group.
“It kind of just confused me,” she told The Independent. “If she felt this way the whole time, she could have easily done something to our food, done something to our drinks, and we never would have known.”
“It’s just shocking, when you think you’ve made a connection with somebody,” Mayes said. “Especially the way times are right now, and there’s so much hate going on.”
Rather than contributing to the hatred though, Mayes took to Facebook and penned a post which conceded that the world needs more love– particularly as racial tensions in the USA are at an all-time high. While the slur was hurtful, Mayes says she refuses to stoop to the waitress’ level.
“This ‘n—–‘ is pretty nice,” she wrote on her profile. “This ‘n—–‘ actually enjoyed your company. This ‘n—–‘ is praying for you. This ‘n—–‘ loves you and there isn’t anything you can do about it.”
The waitress has since been fired. Mayes has extended an invitation for her to attend church alongside her family and get “a different outlook” on black Americans.
