Craig Brooks, a guest services employee for Holiday Inn Express, has become an overnight meme for how he handled a customer who called him a “f***ing n*****.”

Twitter: @craignofridayy

An employee of a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Austin, Texas, has become an overnight internet celebrity after he recorded himself calmly denying services to a woman he heard use a slur against him.

Craig Brooks, 26, told BuzzFeed News that he overheard the woman call him a “f–king nigger” on the phone while trying to make a reservation.

So, when she showed up to the front desk, Brooks told the woman repeatedly that he could not have her stay at the hotel because “it’s above [him] now.”

HIs recording, and his now-famous line, have gone hugely viral since he shared it late Sunday night after he got off his shift.

NoFridayy@craignofridayy

I called a F–KIN NIGGER at work… this how it played out #KillEmWithKindness

10:49 PM – Jun 2, 2019

According to Brooks, who works in guest services, a woman reached him at the Holiday Inn Express on Sunday night trying to book a room. He explained to her that the hotel had an automated reservation line.

“When I sent her there twice, she called back, and at this point she was hostile on the phone. I was, like, woah,” said Brooks.

The woman told him her mom had just died, so she needed assistance and a booking immediately.

“I told her ‘I understand that but you don’t have to be so disrespectful and hostile,’” he said, adding that he proceeded to gather all of her information to try to book a room.

“I said, ‘is there anything else I can do for you?’ I paused, and she didn’t think I was on the phone with her anymore because her husband said something, and she yelled, ‘This effing N-word,’ and I said, ‘Excuse me?’ and she hung up.”

Brooks said following the startling and abrupt end of the call, he then made a call himself to upper management explaining what had happened and asked them how he should proceed.

“[Management] said they have zero tolerance for racism,” he said, and that he could refuse her stay.

“Two minutes later, she’s walking in, and that’s when I pressed record.”

Craig Brooks

In the video, you can hear the woman plead, and then apologize for using the slur, to try to complete the transaction.

“I said I was sorry,” she’s heard saying to him.

“I understand that but it’s — it’s above me now,” he responds, referring to upper management who gave him the direction. “It’s above me. Sorry. The Best Western is next door.”

Brooks told BuzzFeed News following the end of the recording, the woman’s daughter and rest of the family came down to try to convince him to allow their mother to stay there. However, it was too late.

“It was past 11 [pm]; it was time for me to go home,” he said. “They were talking but I was not paying attention. I’m not worrying about y’all.”

He clocked out, shared his interaction on Twitter so friends could commiserate with him, and went to bed. The next morning, he said, he woke up to millions of views. It’s currently been retweeted over 97,000 times. Gabrielle Union even re-shared his video, hashtagging it #ItsAboveMe.

People are applauding Brooks for how he handled the interaction. His phrase “I understand that but it’s above me now” quickly became its own meme.

Eddy@edd180

Replying to @BurberryKid11 and 3 others

“Please, I’ve had a horrible day. Sir, my grandmother just died”

“And I understand that but, it’s above me now”

Name_Cannot_Be_Blank@KeenoRome

“I understand but it’s still above me” pic.twitter.com/5FLZohNPyz

1:05 PM – Jun 3, 2019

 

Brooks believes his video has gone so viral because it really resonated with the lived experiences of black and brown people, and specifically hit the Black Twitter community.

“Black Twitter loves it because I gathered her while being professional,” he said.

“Everyone close to me is dragging me and saying, ‘That’s now how you would have normally handled it,’ which is true,” he said, laughing. “But I have to think, OK, do I lose my job while gathering her together, or do I stay professional and I could be petty about it. That’s the route that I went. The only thing I regret was I did not catch her face because she was so upset.”

The Sauce Dad@primetimegraham

#ItsAboveMe is the energy the rest of year

12:55 PM – Jun 3, 2019

BuzzFeed News has reached out to his employer, Holiday Inn Express, for comment. Brooks said since his video has gone viral, he received a call from general management, which first worried him. But they told him they were going to stand fully behind him, he said.

“They were one hundred percent behind me … and said, ‘You handled it correctly.’”
 

Charlie Boma Ye@Papa_Macc

Last day of school.

Principal: I need you to _____________.#ItsAboveMe pic.twitter.com/Xram5of1rQ

9:16 AM – Jun 3, 2019

 

Brooks added that while racism and racist remarks are still a common occurrence in 2019, he advises anyone who has to confront it to at least act ”unbothered.”

“Even if we’re living in a time when we still have to deal with racist, combative white people, just be professional about it,” he said. “Kill them with kindness. What you’re doing to me is not getting under my skin. Just be unbothered.”

Virgini_tee@Pistantrophobic

If I ever hit you with a “the best western is next door” just know I ain’t hearing anything you saying #ItsAboveMe

12:13 PM – 03 Jun 2019