You've likely seen some version of the same story in the news over the past months: Minorities being harassed in many parts of the country, especially after the election. It's a dark narrative that underscores how deeply fractured our country is. But earlier this week a group of men in D.C. flipped this perception on its head with a beautiful act of kindness.
Rosalind Harris, a 25-year-old waitress, got the surprise of her life when three white, Trump-supporting men from Texas left her an uplifting note and a $450 tip (on a $72.60 bill), The Washington Post reports.
Harris, who is Black, served the men at Busboys and Poets, a local restaurant with a distinct social justice mission. She guessed correctly that they were in town for the presidential inauguration (one was wearing a "Make American Great Again" hat), but that didn't stop them from being friendly and fun. When it was time to leave, the men left Harris a 625% tip along with a note. "We may come from different cultures and may disagree on certain issues, but if everyone would share their smile and kindness like your beautiful smile, our country will come together as one people," the note reads. "Not race. Not gender. Just American."
Harris, who is Black, served the men at Busboys and Poets, a local restaurant with a distinct social justice mission. She guessed correctly that they were in town for the presidential inauguration (one was wearing a "Make American Great Again" hat), but that didn't stop them from being friendly and fun. When it was time to leave, the men left Harris a 625% tip along with a note. "We may come from different cultures and may disagree on certain issues, but if everyone would share their smile and kindness like your beautiful smile, our country will come together as one people," the note reads. "Not race. Not gender. Just American."
We rise by lifting others. A lovely act of kindness pic.twitter.com/S01SV3w8ts
— Busboys and Poets (@busboysandpoets) January 24, 2017
The gesture took Harris by surprise, and it also gave her hope for the future.
"You automatically assume if someone supports Trump that they have ideas about you," she told the Post, adding, "[these customers were] more embracing than even some of my more liberal friends, and there was a real authenticity in our exchange."
She added, "This definitely reshaped my perspective. Republican, Democrat, liberal are all subcategories to what we are experiencing. It instills a lot of hope."
There's no denying that the past months have shown there are many issues we need to overcome as a country, but acts of kindness like this one show us that maybe it's possible to heal.