After a cargo ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26 and caused its collapse, internet trolls took to X to spout racist rhetoric against the city’s Black mayor, Brandon M. Scott.
According to WLBT News, the cargo ship Dali was traveling at a rapid speed when a mayday call was issued by the crew noting that they’d lost power minutes before the crash. The ship reportedly weighed more than 95,000 tons and sent the construction crew into the water as the bridge collapsed upon impact. At least six construction workers who had been working on the bridge are presumed dead.
Despite the tragedy, social media trolls took to X to rant about the city’s Black mayor and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives (DEI).
DEI refers to the representation of people from different backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, and religions and guidelines on those used by corporations and other institutions to ensure equality. Scott was elected in the majority-Black city of Baltimore, so DEI does not apply in his case. However, that didn’t stop racists from flooding X with racist rhetoric following the crash.
