On TikTok, a Black man discusses an encounter at Denny’s with an 89-year-old firefighter who made a horrifying and racist confession.
In a video titled “story time,” TikTok user Shamar Alion recounts the deeply unsettling interaction. The video, which has garnered over 864,000 views, details his chance meeting with an elderly man celebrating his 89th birthday. After some casual conversation, the man confesses to a haunting past during his time as a firefighter in the 1960s. He admitted to deliberately ignoring the cries of Black individuals trapped in burning buildings, and choosing not to save them solely based on the color of their skin.
@shamar_alion #politics #religion #racism #blm #sadstory #foryoupage #fyp #viralvideo #florida ♬ original sound – Shamar Alion
The comments section was flooded with shock, pain, and empathy. One user, a hospice caregiver, shared, “As a hospice caregiver I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to these types of confessions and them asking me if they will go to heaven…” Another commented on the sheer inhumanity of the act, stating, “It is pure evil to ignore the screams of pain and agony like that.. his soul will always be restless.. no peace.”
Many expressed sympathy for Alion, lamenting the weight of such a confession being put upon him. One user wrote, “This story hurts so badly…I had a feeling (given his age) that a confession linked to racism was coming, but had no idea it would be this horrible..” Another added, “This is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m so sorry he dumped all this on you. It’s so heartbreaking.”
Alion’s video serves as a poignant reminder of the platform’s potential to shed light on deeper societal issues and is a reflection of America’s tumultuous past with race relations. While we’ve made significant strides over the decades, stories like these underscore the importance of continued dialogue, understanding, and education. But a recent Washington Post study has shown some Black Americans believe race relations could go backward in their lifetime.
Sadly, race-related issues pertaining to house fires are still a point of contention and controversy today. In Oct. 2022, a grieving mother inquired into the actions of two white firefighters who cleared a house engulfed in flames as being devoid of people. Sadly, two young boys, 12-year-old Zyaire Mitchell and his 9-year-old younger brother, Lamar, died in that fire.
American City & County also writes that “data shows [the] fatality rate from residential fires nearly twice national average among Black communities.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Alion via email for further comment.
