Georgia State Rep. and Minority Leader Erica Thomas (D) took to Twitter on Saturday, saying a white man called her "a lazy SOB" and that she needed to go back to where she came from because she had too many items in the express lane at the local Publix.
Today I was verbally assaulted in the grocery store by a white man who told me I was a lazy SOB and to go back to where I came from bc I had to many items in the express lane. My husband wasn’t there to defend me because he is on Active Duty serving the country I came from USA!
— Erica Thomas (@itsericathomas) July 20, 2019
Thomas explained her experiences further in a Facebook live video.
"People are getting really out of control with this white privilege stuff," a crying Thomas said in the video. "I'm at the grocery store and I'm in the 10 aisle, the aisle that says '10 items or less.' Yes, I have 15 items but I'm nine months pregnant and I can't stand up for long."
"This white man comes up to me and says, 'You lazy son of b**ch. You need to go back where you came from. And I said, 'Sir, you don't even know me. I'm not lazy. I'm nine months pregnant. He says, 'You're ignorant,'" Thomas explained.
To make things even more interesting, the man Thomas accused of making the comments, Eric Sparkes, showed up at her press conference to challenge her story.
Media machine has been blowing up story of @itsericathomas, who claims a racist white man told her to “go back where you came from.” Well, he returns during her presser to deny allegation. He says he’s a Democrat & she’s embellishing story for attention. pic.twitter.com/wh4uds2IKC
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 21, 2019
"I walked into Publix, I bought my three items. There were three checkout lanes. One was express, the other two were empty. I kept my tongue shut. I went to pay for my items in one of the empty lanes. This lady, I noticed, had about 20 items on the conveyer," Sparkes explained. "I walked up to the two customer service associates from Publix, asked them what can be done in a nice manner and they said corporate policy [says] we cant do anything but you as a customer can say something."
Sparkes said he stepped outside the store, thought about what took place, walked back in and confronted Thomas.
"I said, 'Ma'am, not to be rude,' my exact first words, point at the sign, which shows it in the surveillance camera, which I've seen already, point at the sign, '10 items or less.' She berates me after that. I don't remember exactly what she said, but on camera, she approached me, came towards me as I took a couple steps back. I said, 'You're selfish.' She mentioned she was nine months pregnant and I told it didn't matter in this case. It has no point on this case. There's two empty lines. You don't need to be in the express line."
According to Sparkes, the two exchanged words, at which point he said, "You're a selfish little b**ch." He said after he made the comment he walked out of the grocery store.
"Her words stating on Twitter and her Facebook video saying I told she needs to go back to where she came from are untrue," he said. "I'm Cuban. I'm not white."
Eric Sparkes absolutely denies claim that he told politician @itsericathomas to “go back where you came from.” He says the argument started over her using the express lane while having too many items. pic.twitter.com/ZikyJc81vf
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 21, 2019
But here's where things get even more interesting. Sparkes said he's a Democrat and the only reason Thomas is doing this is for political gains.
"This woman is playing the victim for political purposes because she is a state legislator," Sparkes said. "I'm a Democrat and will vote Democrat for the rest of my life, so call me whatever you want to believe. For her political purposes, make it black, white, brown or whatever. It is so untrue."
Recent Facebook posts show Sparkes is anti-Trump Democrat.
