PORTLAND, Ore. — Local marketing associate and Black person Imani Phillips found yesterday that her iPhone X’s storage is almost entirely full of overly supportive messages from well-meaning white colleagues.
“I guess I understand that white guilt is a thing, but this is actually messing with my life,” reported Phillips, whose phone has been on “Do Not Disturb” for the last three weeks. “They all say something like, ‘Hope you’re OK in these trying times,’ or ‘Stay safe, I’m here for you.’ I just got one from my boss from like, two jobs ago, saying, ‘Your soul is valid.’ I don’t even know what that means. I keep deleting pictures and apps, but my messages just fill back up the same day. It’s almost worse than them saying nothing — at least then I could download a movie on Netflix or something.”
While at first the messages came from close friends, the check-ins are reportedly now coming from “total randos” and people she barely remembers.
“It’s been hard for me to turn on the news and not think of Imani, and how she must be feeling these days. I figured just a ‘Thinking of you’ text would let her know I’m in her corner,” said Brennan Mulrooney, saved in Phillips’ phone as “Brandon Tinder.” “I mean, I haven’t seen her in a year or so, but I’d check in on any of the Blacks I know. Or, wait — People of Color, right? Black People of Color. Look, I’m a nice guy.”
Ongoing reports show Phillips is not alone, as Black people all over the country noted an overwhelming amount of misdirected encouragement causing problems on their Android and iOS devices.
“This is truly an issue unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” admitted Samir Shadi, a customer service representative at Apple. “In the last month, the majority of the calls I’m taking are how to mute messages from specifically white people, which of course isn’t an option. I keep recommending people add more storage to their device, but apparently two terabytes aren’t enough to contain the sheer volume of these texts coming in.”
Phillips has since changed her phone number, redirecting the line to an automated message stating that she is “touched by your bravery and compassion as a white ally.” “This is just easier,” Phillips said. “This way, everyone gets what they want.”