The United Airlines attendant who accused Terrell Davis of hitting him during a flight to Orange County probably didn’t realize Davis is one of the most beloved public figures in Colorado with a sterling reputation and decades of goodwill.
Davis was briefly detained by six FBI agents when the plane landed in California; handcuffed in front of his wife, three children, and an entire plane of passengers.
Because Davis was then quickly released and sent on his way to attempt to enjoy his family vacation to California, we give credence to his version of events. Other passengers must have supported Davis’ story that he didn’t strike the flight attendant but merely attempted to get his attention with a tap.
All’s well that ends well. Right?
No. All is not well for Terrell Davis’ family who had to spend the next few days setting the record straight in the media and talking about America’s continued problem with false criminal accusations against Black men.
Tamiko Davis told CBS that she worries most for her and Terrell’s children, a 9-year-old daughter, 11-year-old son, and 13-year-old son who were sitting with them on the plane.
“As a mom, as a Black mom raising two Black sons, you work really hard to not have your children have those types of experiences,” Tamiko Davis said. “And we were simply going on vacation. This is something that we’ll never get back.”
Shook by their experience, Terrell and Tamiko have been doing interviews and asking that United Airlines address the incident head-on.
They are using this sad experience to shed light on an intractable problem in America. Would the flight attendant have reacted the same way had a petite white woman tapped him on the shoulder?
More likely is that Davis’ race and size – the Black Hall of Famer was listed as 200 pounds when he was winning Super Bowls for the Broncos with John Elway – factored heavily into the flight attendant’s reaction, accusations, and attempt to get Davis detained if not arrested and charged with a crime.
United Airlines has apologized to Davis and placed the flight attendant on leave while the company investigates.
Terrell Davis has said repeatedly that he was humiliated by the experience. We hope the outpouring of love and support from his fans in Colorado has helped to lessen that embarrassment.
We support Davis in his effort to raise awareness of racial prejudices whether they are overt or subconscious.
United Airlines should be proactive and use this as a training tool for all its staff.
Flight attendants have high-pressure jobs where they are entrusted with the safety of passengers, enforcing rules and even federal laws in a confined space 30,000 feet above the ground. Because of these responsibilities, they are granted support from law enforcement and some degree of deference.
Since 2020, flight attendants have had to manage an increasing number of unruly passengers. The increased reports range from violent assaults and drunken tirades to refusals to wear seatbelts and masks.
We all want to fly safely, without conflict or fear.
But this incident only further harms the outstanding employees at United who sometimes go above and beyond to care for passengers, and worse, it harms every family who has ever experienced discrimination based on their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, whose fears of travel may have just increased.
Talking about these incidents publicly takes bravery and resolve. The rest of us can lend our support by listening and doing what passengers on the United flight did — telling authorities what they see and hear.
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Originally Published: July 18, 2024 at 11:20 a.m.
