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I had Karen’d and didn’t even realize it – a spring break story

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Panama Jackson theGrio.com

Spring break was recently held for college kids attending public or charter schools in Washington. As I have children in each systems, we had no schoolwork, no football practice and no late mornings for a week – it was great.

Well, mostly. But let’s get to the crazy stuff. My wife, as all the time when the youngsters have long breaks, tries to search out as some ways as possible to maintain my kids entertained. She is a master at sharing an important memories with children. In October 2023, a group (people don’t use the word “group” enough) of individuals tied to my wife’s bed maternity organization went to Perryville, Maryland, to the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge. This was my first experience in a hotel resort, but I immediately understood why people flocked there. There are arcades and mini golf courses here. There are climbing apparatuses and shows, in addition to the coup de grace – a huge indoor water park with food service and bars serving alcoholic beverages for adults within the room.

To use the food service, you could pay for a booth and you then are assigned a server who takes your order and brings you food and drinks. My kids had such a great time on our first trip in October that they’ve been asking about going back for months. My wife decided to do that over spring break. So we went and it was time. My wife likes the finer things in life and comfort, so she got us a beach cabana so we could have a central meeting place, couches and all, all to ourselves.

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During the various, many hours we spent on the water park, we went in and out of the home each together and individually. Since we have now a 3-12 months-old, we normally share the chores with him, so while one person has him, the opposite can loosen up in the home and have a drink, you realize? I think you may pick up what I put down.

This is where it gets diabolical. After quickly handing over my 3-12 months-old and my wife, I returned to our cabin 15 to dry off, sit down, take a break, and drink the brown alcoholic beverage I had ordered. I walked towards my cabin and then into it, sat down and began drying myself off. I guess you possibly can call what I was doing “minding my own business in the space we paid for.” As I sat there, I noticed that the white woman was listening to me. Let’s call her, oh, I do not know, Karen. I noticed that Karen noticed me, so I identified to her that I noticed her too…looking directly at her. It’s vital to notice here that I literally had no idea why she was listening to me; It didn’t even occur to me that something bad was happening.

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Karen walked towards my cabin, looked into my cabin and looked around. At first I thought she was interested in the cottage and was about to ask me about buying such and such, which makes her nosy and unable to grasp the boundaries, but not a threat. But then she showed her true colours.

I asked, “Can I help you?” because I have manners and I don’t assume all white people need to put me in jail. She asked me, “Is this your cabin?”

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I was surprised and replied, “Yes. That’s how it is.” To which she replied: “I saw a family leaving here a jiffy ago.”

“Lady, this was MY family.”

“Well, I was just making sure everything was okay because it’s happened to me before!”

I began to stand up and yell at the lady, but then I realized that my response to her being a fake cop would make me a problem because if I began yelling, among the sympathetic employees, most of them white, would probably change it not directly turned me into a person they thought was reasonable enough to be interesting. Does this make sense? Absolutely not. Is it likely? Absolutely.

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Karen then walked away and turned her head back a few times, as if she wasn’t entirely sure I was telling the reality, but wasn’t sure if she was going to escalate it. She went to the food stand – it didn’t have a booth – and finally moved on. And I got indignant and furious. But mostly I was indignant with myself for even giving her the advantage of the doubt. I really didn’t think this woman was going to ask if I had any business within the place I paid for, or why she felt it needed to return over and check what I was doing. Or why she felt she had the suitable to accomplish that. I was indignant with myself for believing, even a little, in humanity.

And look, nobody was hurt. The police weren’t called. I was capable of move around normally throughout the day and my kids had a great time. Overall, it wasn’t the worst situation, but things like this occur to black people on daily basis and then they tell us to maneuver on because race doesn’t matter. Do I think she did it because I’m a black man? Absolutely. Thank you for not having the nerve to interrogate my wife because someone WOULD have been sent to prison. By the best way, my wife wanted to search out it, but I talked her into getting off that ledge for the sake of peace and spring break for the youngsters, because if she finds it, it won’t be nice.

But that is just a reminder: I put my paranoia aside for a second and boom, Karen Karen me.

It is not going to occur again. And it sucks, and it still sucks, that I should think this fashion on a regular basis.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Travel

American Airlines under the fire after Black Passnger claims that she was the only one in the first grade, the food was refused

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American Airlines, TikTok, First Class, Discrimination, passenger,


American Airlines is in the face of the heat after a black thicker claimed that she was the only first -rate passenger that denies food.

The influencer whose account name is @johbidoo_official shared her story with Tiktok. The film showed a particularly empty table of one that normally had the first class of amenities. The clip quickly gained over 4.8 million views and caused others to discuss the racism they encountered from the airline.

“When you are the only black person in the first grade, and the food apparently ended … Well, thank you American Airlines,” she wrote in the film.

According to the creator of the content of the lifestyle, the flight attendant expressed that the plane There was no food. However, taking into consideration the price point for a first -class ticket, many found this problem unacceptable, he informed.

“First class and exhaustion should not even be in the same sentence,” said one of the users of Tiktok.

Other commentators noticed how airlines normally follow passengers to supply enough food. This insistence meant that the authenticity of the flight attendant claim is questioned, telling the problem to report the problem to the thistker.

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“I work with such a service for another airline and I can guarantee that there will be food. Report it !!!” He called one other.

Other thickets have drawn detailed details about their very own experience in the first grade traveling, while black. One woman shared how she received a grimy appearance when observers believed that she was in the fallacious line.

“I flew the first class and I was the only black woman there,” explained the commentator. “They assumed that I was in the wrong line. I looked all the time. It was wild.”

American Airlines had earlier problems with racist treatment reported by passengers. The airline is currently in the face of the trial after its employees accused the black man of trading their white wife.

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The airline recently resolved the case for racial discrimination in December 2024 after three black men accused their flight attendants of improper removal of them from the plane in January this 12 months. In the light of a long-lasting problem, raised since 2017, NAACP he cried American Airlines to answer ongoing allegations of racism.

In relation to this last attack of the alleged racism, American Airlines also made a public statement confirming that they contacted the thicketker about her experience.

“We want all our clients to have a positive experience while traveling with us,” said the airline. “We contacted the client to learn more about their experience.”

The thicker also confirmed that he’s in communication with the airline in this matter.

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(Tagstranslat) racism on aircraft

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Johnny Mack revolutionizes the Carnival of Trinidad from the All-Inclusive Premium Rejs

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Johnny Mack EPIC Carnival Experience, Trinidad


Visionary entrepreneur Johnny Mack transformed the experience of the Carnival of Trinidad through the progressive solution to at least one of the biggest tourist challenges on the island: serious accommodation shortages during the world famous festival. As the general director of Epic Carnival Experience, Mack was a pioneer of the first “All-Inclusive Hotel” in Trinidad during the famous celebration of the carnival on the island.

The concept is brilliantly easy, but revolutionary: Royal Caribbean Cruise, which flows in a 9-day journey from the neighboring Caribbean Island, after which stays assault in the port of Spain for five days during the carnival. After graduating from the second 12 months in March 2025, EPIC has They quickly change into a changing game For Trinidad Carnival Tourism.

“Trinidad has only 2,500 hotel rooms throughout the country,” explained Mack, and his eyes brighten with passion. Forty thousand to 50,000 people travel to Trinidad to the carnival, making a critical need for flexible power. I created EPIC not only to supply an increased experience, but in addition to treatment economic necessity because of insufficient accommodation. “

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A carnival child with music in his soul

Born in Trinidad on Monday morning in 1980, Mack describes himself as “a real bona fide carnival child”. His heritage is reflected in the diverse cultural makeup of Trinidada-Jego Father is the Chinese-Trinidadian first generation, and his mother was born in Morocco.

Mack’s journey took him from a rugby game for the Trinidad national team at the age of only 17 to attend the UC Berkeley scholarship. At the starting of 2000, he began to supply concert events for Caribbean artists, corresponding to Sean Paul and Damian Marley in California, before he founded on the music scene in Hawaii.

“When I did my first music festival, I was 23 years old and I had 4,000 people,” says Mack with a nostalgic smile. “From there I began to develop music festivals in Hawaii and then on the west coast.” He produced a music festival with three islands with the participation of Lauryn Hill, which attracted 12,000 participants.

His fame in the industry continued to grow exponently. His events could be presented by artists corresponding to Snoop Dogg, Cardi B and Usher, attracting huge crowds exceeding 35,000 people, experiences that gave him a useful view of the creation of addictive events that he would later apply to EPIC.

Overcoming industry barriers

Creating an epic carnival experience required overcoming significant obstacles, especially convincing the primary cruise line for docking in Trinidad for a very long time.

“No liner wanted to come to Trinidad and Tobago, because they were on a global list of safety hazards,” Mack revealed. “They refused to transfer a couple of night. From 2015 to simply before Covid I used to be still knocking on the door.

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Perseverance paid off, but the required financial commitment was significant. “The average cruise ship will amount to at least $ 3.54 million only on charter. Besides, you have insurance, which is like $ 50,000. Then the cruise ship also wants to achieve data on revenues on board … This is another $ 1.2 million.”

As a Caribbean promoter in the industry dominated by large corporations, Mack acts with a distinct approach. “We cope with business with a rather larger number of cultural nuances and lanea. We live more in a gray zone than in black and white.

The Caribbean Entertainment Industry maintains its independence in a way through which few other sectors managed. “In the Caribbean diaspora, someone like Vybz Kartel, Beneie Man, Capleton or Buju will come to North America, and Live Nation will not be the owner of their trip. This will be someone from the diaspora with culture.”

Economic impact and cultural mission

Epic isn’t only a business undertaking – it’s an economic engine for Trinidad and a cultural exchange platform that comes straight from the heart of Mack.

“Based on the last budget, we spent about USD 500,000 on local production of Trinidad, Labor Party, Transport, Marketing – all our needs. We spent about $ 1.2 million on the purchase of tickets for Fetes, and then the average person spent about $ 1,000 on a carnival costume”, describes Epic CEO. “Let’s say that 1000 people bought carnival costumes, they immediately about $ 1 million.”

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The business model solves many problems at the same time. It provides inexpensive accommodation when hotel prices rise and flights change into too expensive.

“Flights during the Carnival in Trinidad are outrageous because of high demand; they have violent prices. The flight that would be USD 300/400 USD currently costs USD 1500,” explains Mack, animated hills. “In the first year Epic we flew to Barbados, and we flew to Puerto Rico for the second year. The numbers made sense. The flight to Puerto Rico from anywhere along the east coast is like 300 USD in both directions. We save everyone at least USD 800–16 for flights.”

The carnival entrepreneur continues: “The average hotel room in the port of Spain during the carnival per night is about USD 800, which is crazy. When I valued one of the lower levels, it costs about USD 400 per night, which is theft for me when you get food, drink and events.”

Unique economic landscape of Trinidada

Unlike many of its Caribbean neighbors, Trinidad’s economy economy isn’t built on tourism – Mack explains with insight someone who really understands his homeland.

“Trinidad is not built on tourism, such as Jamaica, Barbados and these other islands. We are built on natural gas and oil and resources,” explains Mack proudly. “We have something called Lake Pitch. It’s an endless asphalt lake; we have an endless supply. So we never built infrastructure.”

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This economic foundation, wealthy in resources, explains limited hotel infrastructure in the country. “It makes no sense to build a new hotel, but it was reasonable to bring a cruise ship that could come and be a real opportunity for Trinidad.”

Future growth and vision

The rapid growth of the project is visible in the early sale of tickets for the upcoming February 11-20 2026.

“At the moment, in the coming third 12 months, we sold 426 cabins, which we weren’t even in a position to run early for the second 12 months.

For Mack, this undertaking is just the starting of a bigger vision that deeply connects to its personal history. “This is just the first step. I am building an empire and a heritage in which I can export my culture and share it with the world,” he declares. “The goal of Epic is to reveal pop America, pop Europe, our culture and make them feel with us.”

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His ambitions transcend personal success in creating opportunities for his community. “Growing up in the Caribbean, we did not know 401 (k) plans, life insurance or trust for children. Everything we have, we had to build. If I could help my community in my legs, I want to do it for my family and Trinidad.”

As our interview sums up, Mack’s phone calls with a transparent sound of SOCA music – a correct reminder of the rhythm that drives each a person and his mission. “Carnival is only an event for us – this is who we are. And now we have found a way to share it with the world.”

(Tagstranslat) Caribbean economy

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This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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TSA prohibits these 7 items from checked baggage

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The transport safety administration (TSA) warns travelers that electronics containing lithium-ion batteries aren’t any longer allowed in checked baggage. Summer Agency Advisor resembles a passengerS, that the ban is in force. Prohibited items include a cell phone Battery charging housings, lithium batteries, cellular batteries, laptop batteries, external batteries and portable batteries. However, travelers can still Bring these items in your bags.

“Stock (uninstalled) lithium-ion and lithium batteries, including power loading and cell phone, must only be worn in hand luggage. When the cache is checked on the gate or on the plane, all spare litter batteries and power supply should be removed from the bag and store with a passenger within the aircraft cabin, they have to be protected with a passenger circuses.

Tsa He implemented a ban Due to the hearth risk created after recent incidents including the exploding of lithium-ion batteries in flight. Officials determined that the overheated Bank of Power caused a hearth that broke out on a Russian plane in South Korea in January, which led to the evacuation of 179 passengers and 6 crew members. IN November 2024, a Southwest flight from Denver was forced to evacuate the passenger The phone caught fire.

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Portable chargers and power supply can Experience thermal escapeby which the battery cell overheats all of sudden. Thermal escapes can occur if the battery is flawed, overheated, filled, incorrectly packed or exposed to water.

Air crews are trained to answer battery fires when it appears within the plane’s cabin. FAA encourages passengers Notify your air crew Immediately, if their devices overheat, expand, smoke or smoke in the course of the flight.

TSA reminds passengers of these changes before the brand new real identifier Travel requirements that got here into force on Wednesday, May 7. All passengers will need to have RIdentification in accordance with ID EAL Travel business flight. Real identifiers are marked with a star within the upper right corner. TSA states that passengers who present unreal identification in accordance with ID may face a further safety examination.

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(Tagstotranslate) travel

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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