Trying To Explain In Black And White

(I’m the hostess at an upscale restaurant where all the tables are pre-set with silverware rolled up in black linen napkins. If a customer with white pants come in, we trade out their silverware with one rolled in white linen. This prevents any black lint or string that might’ve been on the napkin from being highly visible. I’m currently working a busy Saturday and the restaurant is about 3/4 full. I’ve just sat a group of four ladies at a booth. Three of them are black and are wearing black pants or jeans. The fourth lady is white and wearing white pants. I switch out her silverware.)

Black Lady #1: “I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM SEEING!”

Me: “Pardon?”

Black Lady #1: “YOU JUST GAVE HER WHITE SILVERWARE BECAUSE SHE’S WHITE!”

Me: “Oh, no, ma’am. We do this for everyone who—”

Black Lady #1: “—IS WHITE?! GET ME YOUR MANAGER NOW!! I CAN’T BELIEVE ANYONE CAN STILL BE RACIST WHEN OUR PRESIDENT IS BLACK!!”

(I was too shocked about being yelled at in front of the full restaurant that I just sulked away quickly and got my manager. I could feel everyone staring. After spending 10 minutes at the table explaining to them the real reason I exchanged the silverware and also pointing out that practically every other white person in the restaurant had black linen silverware, the manager agreed to run out a couple free appetizers on the house. We stopped giving out the white linen after that night.)