Virtue signaling, a social media pile-on and a canceling in Decatur

There are few things more strident than a social media mob, fueled with righteous anger and certainty, pouncing on a hapless victim.

Case in point, the Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop in downtown Decatur, which was opened last year by two sisters after their film industry jobs started drying up. Their shop fits in nicely with the progressive Decatur vibe. They have an LGBTQ section carrying 169 titles and projections on their website that they are “inclusive” and a “safe space.”

Doesn’t matter. They might as well fly the Confederate flag out front. They’ve been widely branded with the scarlet-letter “R.”

Racism, that is.

The blowup started last weekend with a Black woman who said she felt unseen at the bookshop’s tent at the Decatur Book Festival. The aggrieved woman, who says she’s a college professor — someone whose job it is to enlighten the youth — then did what is popular these days: She went online and tossed a grenade.

She posted a photo of the Kiss and Tale logo from the shop’s tent and told folks to steer clear, that the business owners were ignoring Black festgoers. “Racism is still alive and well,” she added.

(She did not respond to calls and texts for her take on the events for this column. She did speak with another AJC reporter for an earlier news story, but asked that only her first name be used.)

The festival’s social media manager, a Black woman, then went online to say she visited the tent and had a “similar experience.”

The fest employee added, “We are breaking ties with them. ... We don’t play that.”

She then added an emoji, because, well, that’s how keyboard warriors roll.

The virtue signalers immediately piled on. A few said they had previously visited the shop and were met with indifference. Or knew someone who did.

The rout then started in earnest.

By Monday, the Decatur Book Fest administration was telling the media they had cut ties with the small bookstore and would not ask them back.

In essence, they were canceled, which was the horde’s intention.

“We expect every exhibitor to make each attendee feel welcome and respected,” fest director Bailee Yarbrough said in an emailed statement to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution colleague. She said little else.

The festival made its decision without ever talking to the owners, according to Jen and Molly Kamrath. They learned about their ban by reading it in the media.

I visited the shop Wednesday and Molly Kamrath asked me to email questions so she and her sister could fully respond.

They said 350 customers were served by three people that day. They said they remember the woman coming to the front of the checkout line and then saying she had changed her mind and did not want to make a purchase.

“At the time, we did not realize that she felt ignored or treated differently,” they wrote. “We never have and never would intentionally ignore or single out a customer because of their race, background or identity.”

They saw the social media attacks starting that afternoon but were busy keeping up with the lines. They initially put out an apologetic statement but that was met with antipathy.

Once the online crowd gets going, no explanation will stop it.

“We are not discrediting or dismissing anyone’s story or experience,” they wrote. “We acknowledge and sincerely validate anyone’s experience or feelings as truthful and authentic.”

They added, “We want our bookshop to be a welcoming, inclusive and respectful space for everyone. ... We understand that many people of color have experienced discrimination across the country, and we would never want anyone to feel that way in our space. Any type of discrimination has no place in our business.”

They added they will go out of their way to try and make everyone feel comfortable in their shop.

I have no idea what goes on in the Kamrath sisters’ hearts, but the accusation that they’re bigots has my spidey sense tingling. In Decatur, most white residents would prefer to crawl through broken glass than be called a racist.

It’s certainly not a good business model there.

I called festival director Yarbrough a couple of times and then emailed the fest media some questions. I got nothing. No response after two days.

From my vantage point, it sure looks like this is what’s going on: The book festival administration, who have been financially challenged in recent years, figured the best way to quell the budding controversy was to immediately toss the small bookstore under the bus, make a quick, bland statement and then hide in their book-lined bunker.

They calculated they were better off jumping in on the side of the anti-racist wave.

But their quick action gave official credence to the accusations.

And there’s real backlash.

The Silent Book Club Decatur this week canceled an event there, saying they want locations where “everyone is welcomed, safe and valued. We will not host meetups where that is not the case.”

And at least one author, Trilina Pucci, jumped into the fray to cancel an event there.

Some local bookstores, sensing an opportunity, went online to tout their inclusiveness hoping to snag a few Kiss and Tale customers.

That’s buzzard capitalism; feast on the body when it’s down.

I’ve often read in the Decaturish news site of brick-and-mortar businesses in downtown Decatur going under because of high rents and parking issues.