A woman featured in a viral video calling a Black worker at a New York bakery a racial slur after he refused to serve her without wearing a mask has spoken out about the incident.
A video of Stephanie Denaro demeaning a man working at the Davidovich Bakery on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has been viewed millions of times since the exchange happened Sunday. Several online publications have reposted the video of Denaro, who was accompanied by her four children and attempted to purchase bagels.
Her viral moment has attracted the moniker “Bagel Karen,” which ties Denaro to other incidents in which white women have been characterized for demeaning, assaulting or calling the police on Black men.
The staff explains to her that she would not be served without a mask. Prior to being escorted out, Denaro says to the Black bakery worker that he was a “(expletive) N-word.” A woman off-camera responds with shock. Denaro then says “I can call him whatever I want.”
The footage has brought much backlash for Denaro, who conducted an interview with the UK’s DailyMail to explain her stance. The 38-year-old explained to the publication’s staff that she feels the coronavirus is a hoax, which is why she refuses to wear masks. She also revealed that she has been banned from other local businesses such as Trader Joe’s and Kosser’s bakery for not covering her face, which is widely suggested as a health measure to combat COVID-19.
As for her reasoning behind calling the bakery worker the N-word, she said the term was not meant to be an insult.
“I live in New York City, I’m from New York City... it’s something you hear people say constantly. It’s constantly being said; it’s not just black people who say it...it’s a term of endearment.”
Denaro gaining the nickname “Bagel Karen” is in line with several women who have been recorded during the last few years confronting mainly Black people in instances that seem to be steeped in privilege and entitlement. An example is when Amy Cooper, also a New Yorker, called the police on a Black man who asked her to put her dog on a leash. She told police he had threatened her life. That turned out to be untrue. Cooper was arrested and charged, but the charges were later dismissed.
Denaro does not currently face any charges, but the explosive moment at the New York bakery has many calling out continued issues with “Karens” and other forms of microaggressions related to race.
Some also found issue with Denaro’s racial rant because her children are biracial.
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