Black Doctor Reveals That He’s Treated Differently Wearing Hoodie Than When He’s In Scrubs, Demands To Be Respected In Both
Inspired by the BLM protesters marching the streets, many people are taking to social media to express support to black people and educate people on racism. One of those people is Emeka Okorocha, a 27-year-old doctor from London. The man recently posted a video on TikTok asking everyone to respect him no matter what he’s wearing.
More info: Instagram | tiktok.com
Recently, Dr. Emeka Okorocha from London was praised for taking a stance against racism
Image credits: doctor.emeka
“If you celebrate me in my scrubs, don’t hate me in my hoodie,” the caption in the video reads as he smiles for the camera.
Okorocha filmed himself stating: “If you celebrate me in my scrubs, don’t hate me in my hoodie”
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“This is the message. Don’t love us just when it’s trendy or convenient. Love us when it’s hard, when you may be criticised, when you may be scared or embarrassed. That’s when we really will feel you stand with us. I don’t want to be clapped for and celebrated when I have my scrubs and PPE on only to see myself and others who look just like me racially profiled for wearing a simple hoodie,” the man wrote.
Image credits: doctor.emeka
The A&E medic reveals that he got the idea for this video after seeing a black lawyer saying he deserves respect when he’s not wearing the suit, too. Dr. Okorocha reveals that people act differently when they see him wearing a hoodie.
Image credits: doctor.emeka
“Everyone seems to love me in my scrubs and everyone is clapping for the NHS, but if I wear a hoodie, as a 6 ft 6 in black man in an affluent neighbourhood—they’ll be scared,” he told Femail.
Image credits: doctor.emeka
The man said that he has even had several incidents with the police where he was stopped for driving too slow in a nice neighborhood. “I’ve been stopped five or six times by police. And never has anything been out of order. I’m just stopped just for suspicion, I’ve been told I looked like ‘someone who was reported in the area,'” he said.
Image credits: doctor.emeka
In support of those who are currently protesting for Black Lives Matter, the doctor shared valuable tips on how to stay safe during demonstrations.
The doctor showed support for peaceful protesters by giving them tips on how to stay safe
The video, which highlights the different treatment he receives as a black doctor and as a regular person quickly went viral. People praised Okorocha for sharing his experience to take a stance against racial discrimination.
Here’s how people reacted
24Kviews
Share on FacebookI know I should've paid more attention to what he was saying, but I was distracted. That is one good looking man.
When I am wearing a business suit, I get treated well in stores. When I go to stores wearing sweats, I get ignored. I'm white - this is just how the world is. Stop making everything about race.
Not everything is about race, but there is often a smear of race in how people are treated. In those stores you shop are the cosmetic products for white women locked up?
Load More Replies...If you're looking for a reason to think you're being treated differently you WILL find it.
Are you not self aware enough to realize that the other side of your statement is if YOU, Tres D, are looking for a reason to treat someone differently YOU will find it.
Load More Replies...Having been a college student in my fifties, whose “school uniform” included a hoodie in cooler weather (and a tee shirt and yoga pants—-I went to class in comfort after work and hoodies are comfortable, ffs!), I understand how people look at you when you’re wearing one. If I went to the store after class while wearing mine, people treated me much differently than they did if I made the same kind of stop in my business suit after work—-and I’m a middle-aged white woman! Not that they thought I’d steal anything, but they definitely weren’t as nice to me as when I was more expensively dressed. I know that experience is less than nothing in comparison to Dr Okorocha’s, but even such a subtle change in treatment was noticeable. “Never judge a book by its cover” are the truest words ever spoken.
People have only what's in front of them to judge a stranger. So yes, if you are in a hoodie, I don't assume you are a doctor... however, much like a woman wearing a short skirt, clothes do not make it acceptable to treat someone disrespectfully and it shouldn't put their life in danger.
I gotta be honest. I work in education, and plenty of students of all colors and ages wear hoodies. However, they are not allowed to wear the hood up while indoors. This is 2020 and it was also like that when I was a kid and dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Up till covid19, you were not allowed to wear a face or head covering in the buildings unless it was for religious purposes. It has to do with safety, not race. Schools need to quickly and at a glance be able to identify if anyone is out of place in their buildings, students not where they belong, or even intruders.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/05/21/wearing-hats-in-schools-a-second-look/a83e4963-3a3a-480d-8002-234e74949f27/
Load More Replies...I understand his point, it just truly isn't a very defensible statement. In the US, ANYONE wearing a hoodie will be treated with less respect than someone wearing professional attire. The article another gentleman made about his mom's rules for him, however is more defensible and linked below. This helped me to see my white privilege better. Before the pandemic I touched everything in a store, often didn't bother with a receipt, and never remotely considered anything about not putting my hands in my pockets. https://www.boredpanda.com/unwritten-mom-rules-young-black-man/
I agree Dianna. Every one is treated differently based on how they dress. And yes, that sucks. However, I have never heard of a white guy being shot and killed because he was wearing a hoodie and looked suspicious. I don't know if this has happened but I've never heard of it. It very well could have happened but just wasn't publicised as much. I have heard about, heard tapes, seen videos, heard interviews of black men being assaulted, shot at and in Trayvon Martin's case killed because they looked suspicious because they were wearing a hoodie. Everyone and everything isn't racist. By no means am I saying that. But there are racist people out there and they are ignorant people out there who don't know better. People who were raised hearing negative things about other races and they don't have the exposure to these races to see that these are just negative stereotypes. Either way, as a society, we do need to do better, in my opinion.
Load More Replies...It's summer here in Florida and the temp is 90° degrees. I see the hoodies & think "they must be so hot".So why wear all black outfits, too include the black hoodie? It's usually teens or kids a bit older & I think they're innocently making a statement. Different era's have always had different clothes that made statements. Whoa, the gothic outfits, grunge clothing, hippies in the 60's? Same as hairdo's, some were just that.....Crazy.
The comments here reflect exactly what society has been trying to say about appearance and the message it sends. Sadly as I have been writing, two things have become clear: 1. Appearances define. 2. Cultural/racial negative-stigma define. Look out for " For better and worse: How the Minority defines the Majority"
He's a hero in his scrubs and without them. Hoodies are cool, you got an issue? Then leave us alone. Now let me lay in my pile of 50 hoodies >n<
I don't care what you're wearing - you are an incredibly handsome man!
My white dad told me not to wear hoodies. Cops harass me for covering my bald head.... ::shrug::
Doctor, thank you for everything you do. I'm so sorry that in 2020 you and millions of others are still not being treated with equal respect. I am white, but I truly believe that Black Lives Matter
Wearing a scrubs you're still black. So it wasnt about race , its what you're wearing
I would look twice with Anyone wearing a hoodie. when they wear it over thier eyes and the way they walk. Would Not trust them if their pants are halfway down their ars too or when Hot out and wearing one. Bummer people are so predjiduce! Thank you guy for helping people out and all stay safe. A nice handsome man! Their is a video out that this white guy dressed up to look homeless infront of the church . Everyone ignored him. He went into church and up to podium . Said I am your new minister( preacher?) That was a cool video.
The problem is unfortunately, that aggressive guys in gangs wear hoodies and such, at least in Sweden. I usually hide when I meet guys in groups in hoodies like that. I don't care about skin colour, I go after clothes usually. Before, I was often using hoodie too. Once I was flying from Paris, wore a hoodie and loose pants. They stopped me for a full body search. Just took me out from the line and asked me questions. So I suppose I am not the only one being careful with people in hoodies. I am white and blonde with blue eys..
I have said before, that, as a woman, I feel more anxious walking alone when there are guys in hoodies and sloppy jeans, whether black white or brown, than by their colour. It's the clothes and the kind of attitude they represent that makes me feel threatened, not the person per se. I know it's daft, and a guy in a suit would be just as dangerous as if he were in a hoodie, but it's gut level survival
I'm a clean lady and dress well, but I went into a sears store one time dirty from working in my garden and my boys were dirty to from playing all day, but what I want to say is I needed dress clothes for my boys because we were attending my fathers funeral and not one person in that store would help me. One lady even told me to please don't touch the clothes with my dirty hands. The only reason why we didn't clean up was because I lived 25 miles from the store and forgot what time they closed.so we had to hurry
I don't get this concept of hoodies being scary. They are literally light jackets that keep rain off your head. Also, Dr Emeka isn't talking about hoodies, he's clearly talking about racism. Racism endangers POC, and this b******t about hooded jackets being "criminal uniforms" is an obvious dog whistle. Stop being racist a******s and let all the people stay warm and dry in their hoodies.
In the UK hoodies were the uniform of chavs. Mainly white thugs. No racism here.
Load More Replies...Not gonna lie, I'd treat him different if he was in his lab coat or scrubs than street clothes. What can I say? I love a man in a uniform.
I'm pretty sure EVERYONE is treated different in a hoodie. There is even an entire website created for it: People of Walmart. Also, I would treat you WAY different in scrubs. I'd want your a*s ten MORE feet away from me because of the 'rona dude.
Wby was I downvoted? His eyes and chin remind me a bit of his features. It's not just because he's black or I think they all look the same. Y'all are so dense smh
Load More Replies...White, the fact is as a white mother my husband and my son are less likely to be harassed in their hoodies than a black man or boy is. Unfortunately not only blacks but even Hispanics who are already considered to possibly have some sort of gang affiliation (not my view but what I have observed) to see them in a hoodie just seems to cement in people that they are thugs. You also have to remember you are in England, not the US. The US is ridiculous about how they treat those with different skin color other than white. From what I have read is other parts of the world are appalled by how we treat people of color here and how we see them differently in certain clothing.
Load More Replies...I know I should've paid more attention to what he was saying, but I was distracted. That is one good looking man.
When I am wearing a business suit, I get treated well in stores. When I go to stores wearing sweats, I get ignored. I'm white - this is just how the world is. Stop making everything about race.
Not everything is about race, but there is often a smear of race in how people are treated. In those stores you shop are the cosmetic products for white women locked up?
Load More Replies...If you're looking for a reason to think you're being treated differently you WILL find it.
Are you not self aware enough to realize that the other side of your statement is if YOU, Tres D, are looking for a reason to treat someone differently YOU will find it.
Load More Replies...Having been a college student in my fifties, whose “school uniform” included a hoodie in cooler weather (and a tee shirt and yoga pants—-I went to class in comfort after work and hoodies are comfortable, ffs!), I understand how people look at you when you’re wearing one. If I went to the store after class while wearing mine, people treated me much differently than they did if I made the same kind of stop in my business suit after work—-and I’m a middle-aged white woman! Not that they thought I’d steal anything, but they definitely weren’t as nice to me as when I was more expensively dressed. I know that experience is less than nothing in comparison to Dr Okorocha’s, but even such a subtle change in treatment was noticeable. “Never judge a book by its cover” are the truest words ever spoken.
People have only what's in front of them to judge a stranger. So yes, if you are in a hoodie, I don't assume you are a doctor... however, much like a woman wearing a short skirt, clothes do not make it acceptable to treat someone disrespectfully and it shouldn't put their life in danger.
I gotta be honest. I work in education, and plenty of students of all colors and ages wear hoodies. However, they are not allowed to wear the hood up while indoors. This is 2020 and it was also like that when I was a kid and dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Up till covid19, you were not allowed to wear a face or head covering in the buildings unless it was for religious purposes. It has to do with safety, not race. Schools need to quickly and at a glance be able to identify if anyone is out of place in their buildings, students not where they belong, or even intruders.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/05/21/wearing-hats-in-schools-a-second-look/a83e4963-3a3a-480d-8002-234e74949f27/
Load More Replies...I understand his point, it just truly isn't a very defensible statement. In the US, ANYONE wearing a hoodie will be treated with less respect than someone wearing professional attire. The article another gentleman made about his mom's rules for him, however is more defensible and linked below. This helped me to see my white privilege better. Before the pandemic I touched everything in a store, often didn't bother with a receipt, and never remotely considered anything about not putting my hands in my pockets. https://www.boredpanda.com/unwritten-mom-rules-young-black-man/
I agree Dianna. Every one is treated differently based on how they dress. And yes, that sucks. However, I have never heard of a white guy being shot and killed because he was wearing a hoodie and looked suspicious. I don't know if this has happened but I've never heard of it. It very well could have happened but just wasn't publicised as much. I have heard about, heard tapes, seen videos, heard interviews of black men being assaulted, shot at and in Trayvon Martin's case killed because they looked suspicious because they were wearing a hoodie. Everyone and everything isn't racist. By no means am I saying that. But there are racist people out there and they are ignorant people out there who don't know better. People who were raised hearing negative things about other races and they don't have the exposure to these races to see that these are just negative stereotypes. Either way, as a society, we do need to do better, in my opinion.
Load More Replies...It's summer here in Florida and the temp is 90° degrees. I see the hoodies & think "they must be so hot".So why wear all black outfits, too include the black hoodie? It's usually teens or kids a bit older & I think they're innocently making a statement. Different era's have always had different clothes that made statements. Whoa, the gothic outfits, grunge clothing, hippies in the 60's? Same as hairdo's, some were just that.....Crazy.
The comments here reflect exactly what society has been trying to say about appearance and the message it sends. Sadly as I have been writing, two things have become clear: 1. Appearances define. 2. Cultural/racial negative-stigma define. Look out for " For better and worse: How the Minority defines the Majority"
He's a hero in his scrubs and without them. Hoodies are cool, you got an issue? Then leave us alone. Now let me lay in my pile of 50 hoodies >n<
I don't care what you're wearing - you are an incredibly handsome man!
My white dad told me not to wear hoodies. Cops harass me for covering my bald head.... ::shrug::
Doctor, thank you for everything you do. I'm so sorry that in 2020 you and millions of others are still not being treated with equal respect. I am white, but I truly believe that Black Lives Matter
Wearing a scrubs you're still black. So it wasnt about race , its what you're wearing
I would look twice with Anyone wearing a hoodie. when they wear it over thier eyes and the way they walk. Would Not trust them if their pants are halfway down their ars too or when Hot out and wearing one. Bummer people are so predjiduce! Thank you guy for helping people out and all stay safe. A nice handsome man! Their is a video out that this white guy dressed up to look homeless infront of the church . Everyone ignored him. He went into church and up to podium . Said I am your new minister( preacher?) That was a cool video.
The problem is unfortunately, that aggressive guys in gangs wear hoodies and such, at least in Sweden. I usually hide when I meet guys in groups in hoodies like that. I don't care about skin colour, I go after clothes usually. Before, I was often using hoodie too. Once I was flying from Paris, wore a hoodie and loose pants. They stopped me for a full body search. Just took me out from the line and asked me questions. So I suppose I am not the only one being careful with people in hoodies. I am white and blonde with blue eys..
I have said before, that, as a woman, I feel more anxious walking alone when there are guys in hoodies and sloppy jeans, whether black white or brown, than by their colour. It's the clothes and the kind of attitude they represent that makes me feel threatened, not the person per se. I know it's daft, and a guy in a suit would be just as dangerous as if he were in a hoodie, but it's gut level survival
I'm a clean lady and dress well, but I went into a sears store one time dirty from working in my garden and my boys were dirty to from playing all day, but what I want to say is I needed dress clothes for my boys because we were attending my fathers funeral and not one person in that store would help me. One lady even told me to please don't touch the clothes with my dirty hands. The only reason why we didn't clean up was because I lived 25 miles from the store and forgot what time they closed.so we had to hurry
I don't get this concept of hoodies being scary. They are literally light jackets that keep rain off your head. Also, Dr Emeka isn't talking about hoodies, he's clearly talking about racism. Racism endangers POC, and this b******t about hooded jackets being "criminal uniforms" is an obvious dog whistle. Stop being racist a******s and let all the people stay warm and dry in their hoodies.
In the UK hoodies were the uniform of chavs. Mainly white thugs. No racism here.
Load More Replies...Not gonna lie, I'd treat him different if he was in his lab coat or scrubs than street clothes. What can I say? I love a man in a uniform.
I'm pretty sure EVERYONE is treated different in a hoodie. There is even an entire website created for it: People of Walmart. Also, I would treat you WAY different in scrubs. I'd want your a*s ten MORE feet away from me because of the 'rona dude.
Wby was I downvoted? His eyes and chin remind me a bit of his features. It's not just because he's black or I think they all look the same. Y'all are so dense smh
Load More Replies...White, the fact is as a white mother my husband and my son are less likely to be harassed in their hoodies than a black man or boy is. Unfortunately not only blacks but even Hispanics who are already considered to possibly have some sort of gang affiliation (not my view but what I have observed) to see them in a hoodie just seems to cement in people that they are thugs. You also have to remember you are in England, not the US. The US is ridiculous about how they treat those with different skin color other than white. From what I have read is other parts of the world are appalled by how we treat people of color here and how we see them differently in certain clothing.
Load More Replies...
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