Austin King Screenshot via KRON
The cameraman who recorded a Black San Francisco State University student confronting a white student about wearing dreads and cultural appropriation wants to press charges against the young Black woman.
Video of the incident has gone viral, and the university launched an investigation into the Black student, who was revealed to be Bonita Tindle.
Atlanta Black Star reported that last Monday, two students were having a discussion about cultural appropriation in an SFSU hallway in the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Two other students — both males — were onlookers. One took video while the other watched the incident unfold.
According to San Francisco-based news station KRON, Austin King, the white student who recorded the incident, spoke about the event and pressing charges against Tindle. He said his instincts kicked in and that he had to get an objective recording of the confrontation.
“Here we just have someone who’s because of their race is just being harassed and pulled around,” King said about white student Cory Goldstein. “It’s just not right.”
King said in the interview that he felt threatened that Tindle would try to take his phone. The short tussle prompted King to take legal action.
“She just so freely put her hands all over Cory [Goldstein], put her hands all over me, tried to take my property, tried to intimidate us into doing what she wanted,” King said. “That just wasn’t right. We can’t have that happening on a public college campus.”
Since the incident, Tindle has come under attack for how she responded to the white student. In addition to being a student, Tindle was employed by Associated Students of San Francisco State University as a student assistant. The organization has since cut ties with her.
Goldstein has not pressed charges, but King has decided to do so.
