Burger King has issued a statement following a viral video showing a white employee in blackface at a drive-thru.
On Oct. 31, a Black customer confronted the employee on camera while paying for her order.
The woman had smeared dark makeup across her face but was otherwise dressed like a typical employee, wearing a Burger King hat and T-shirt.
When the customer asked about her appearance, the employee responded, “I just wanted to be Black today.”
After the video went viral, Burger King faced massive backlash and issued a public response on Nov. 1 to ABC 6 affiliate KAAL-TV.
The company wrote: “We are aware of the video and take the matter very seriously. The Franchisee of this location is addressing the situation with his team, manager, and Team Member to ensure everyone involved understands why this is not acceptable and won’t happen again.”
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Social media users speculated that the incident happened at a Burger King in Faribault, Minnesota, on 7th St. NW, but the company has not confirmed the location.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Burger King to ask whether the company still employed the woman, but had not heard back by press time.
The video continues to spook viewers long after Halloween.
During the exchange, the customer asked the employee if she thought it was “OK” to wear blackface.
She answered: “As long as you have a good heart.”
“Why would you want to be Black?” the customer asked. “Do you know the struggles we go through as Black people?”
The employee’s response: Laughter.
On Atlanta Black Star’s official Facebook account, the video elicited hundreds of responses, with some describing the employee’s reaction as “nervous laughter.”
One person said, “It’s Halloween, get over it.”
But others noted that the woman only painted her face black.
As one put it, “That suggests that she did it intentionally, for the express purpose of being offensive.”
Still, the question on everyone’s lips was: “Why did they let her work her shift like this?”
‘Why Did They Let Her Work?’: Burger King Responds After White Employee’s Blackface Video Goes Viral
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