Fox News host Brian Kilmeade had one less choice of restaurants in downtown Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday after the owner closed down for the day in protest of his racist anti-immigrant show at a neighboring theater.
The Lyric Theatre hosted Kilmeade’s live show “America: Great from the Start” despite the fact that he is one of the most toxic voices on television, parroting President Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric and lies every day on “Fox & Friends.”
Well, Shu Shop owner Adeeba Khan is not a fan, and as the daughter of a Pakistani immigrant, decided she would not allow racist supporters of Trump and Kilmeade into her establishment. So, she announced on Facebook that her business would be closed for the day and delivered a passionate message in response to Kilmeade’s bigotry and the Lyric Theatre’s decision to host him.
“It is because our neighbors at the Lyric have chosen to host an event that is anti-immigrant, hostile towards brown people, pro-wall, and that goes against what we believe in at Shu Shop,” Khan wrote. “As a decent human, first and foremost, a person of color, a woman, a second generation immigrant of Pakistani decent, and a Birmingham native, I refuse to contribute to anyone’s hateful bullshit. I love my city. This is my city. This is OUR city.”
“My father came here fully educated with absolutely nothing but a 50 dollar bill and the need to make the life of his future children better,” she continued. “The hosting of Brian Kilmeade flies in the face of everything that MY BIRMINGHAM is about- love, acceptance, knowledge, and RESPECT. It’s taken me a very long time to feel like any place was my home. Downtown Birmingham has been a vacant space that myself, my friends, my colleagues, my FAMILY has tried relentlessly to make better because OUR city is better. Because we believe in something better for ourselves.”
“As a woman from Birmingham who got the chance to finally not feel like the outsider, who was afforded the opportunity to serve her community, who wants better for and of everyone around her, I take this blatant racist bullshit as a personal affront,” she concluded. “I will not be ok with hosting this asshat in my town. In our town. I will not be ok with this level of disrespect. This is NOT my Birmingham. Nor should it be yours.”
The Lyric Theatre went on to release a statement claiming they don’t endorse Kilmeade’s views, stating that they “do not necessarily reflect those of the Board of Directors, the Junior Board, donors, the administrative staff, the technical staff, theatre volunteers or even the promoter.”
Of course, they could have refused to host such hate in their place of business. Sadly, the Lyric Theatre did the opposite.
Featured Image: Screenshot
