Photo may have been deleted
Twitter/@belllahijabi

A viral video shows a mascot avoiding a Black child. The video posted on Twitter shows a Chuck E. Cheese mascot avoiding a Black toddler while giving high-fives to white children.

After this video went viral on Monday, I called a friend who works for a company similar to Chuck E. Cheese in Atlanta. She explained that most mascots are not racist. They simply avoid interacting with certain children because we live in a litigious society.

My source said don’t assume that every mascot is white inside. Most mascots are Black or people of color who work for minimum wage.

She recalled several incidents in which mascots accidentally bumped into Black children causing them to fall. The children were not injured, but the parent(s) filed lawsuits or threatened lawsuits if they didn’t settle out of court.

She said, don’t blame the mascots, blame the litigious society that we live in. Lawsuits are a $310 billion a year business – and everyone wants a slice of the pie.

Black radio listeners are bombarded daily with advertisements from lawyers urging them to sue companies for millions of dollars.

Mascots have the right to protect themselves. They are not avoiding the child, they are avoiding having to testify or sit for lengthy depositions in frivolous lawsuits.

My friend suggested the following tips to parents who take their toddlers or minor children to theme parks or restaurants that employ mascots.

Hold your toddler’s hand.

Sometimes a mascot’s suit prevents them from seeing small children underfoot.

Keep your child close to you at all times.

Your child is your responsibility. Mascots are not obligated to touch, high-five, hold, or take pictures with your children.

Consider the human beings inside those hot suits.

They have a difficult enough job as it is without having to worry about stepping on your toddler.