A video I'm in went viral on TikTok. Let me tell you what happened.
What I did, many would do. There's plenty of decency and compassion in America, even when we don't see it on video or at the White House.
I’ve been overwhelmed with messages from people I know, barely know, once knew, or never met. Local news outlets called and asked for interviews. That’s what happens when you’re in a TikTok video that goes viral. Here’s the backstory:
On Friday, I was riding the el in Chicago. There was a young man sleeping across three very uncomfortable seats. His jeans were ripped and his shoes too big for his feet. It was cold out. I got up, took off my coat, and covered him with it. That was all. It took just a few seconds.
Later that day, a student who recently took a class from me at DePaul emailed to say there was a video of me on TikTok. A little later, I heard from a second student. And then a third. My adult children told me they’d heard from their friends. Apparently, another rider on the el took a video of me after I gave the young man my coat and made it into a story. I do not have TikTok, but my students shared the video and some of the comments with me.
What I did is hardly special. A young person was alone and cold. I gave him a coat. Yet, I see from the response to the post that Americans are hungry for evidence that there is any decency left in this country now that our leaders have none. What I did, many would do. There's plenty of decency and compassion in America, even when we don't see it on video or at the White House. Please don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
Meanwhile, I have some takeaways:
Social media is far more powerful than I imagined- the video now has more than 3 million views.
The suffering of un-housed young people is real, and everyone knows it- that’s why doing something, even something small, touched so many.
When an American President make cruelty a central feature of our government, good Americans everywhere long for evidence that we are still a decent people.
*Photo credits: TikTok/maddievancuren; Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago