A California medical clinic is under fire on the internet for labeling a black woman's medical testing kit "King Kong."
TikToker Kierra King shared a video of her confrontation with a medical assistant, asking how the racist indiscretion could've gone unchecked after clinic worker feigned ignorance over the unsettling matter.
The viral clip began with a close-up of the label printed on King's sample vial from Perlman Clinic Modern Healthcare.
"Went to the doctor's office the other day and this is how my name was printed on the test kit," read the text overlay.
"I am a black woman," King wrote.
She handed the kit to a medical staff member, who was informed about the interaction being filmed, and asked, "Can you tell me what's wrong with this sample?"
After a long pause, the off-camera voice said, "Oh my God, I'm sorry," to which King interjected, "Can you understand as a Black woman why I would have a problem with that? How could that be a mistake?"
When the assistant said she would double-check to see what happened with the label, the TikToker showed her name on her medical wristband, indicating it read "King" with a comma, followed by "Kierra."
"How do you misspell Kierra with Kong?" she asked.
The staff member maintained she didn't know who printed the label and explained that something like that had never happened before
You can watch the full video below.
Later, King spoke with the individual who printed the label after she was brought in. She told King, "It wasn't my intention to do that."
The person then claimed she had King double-check the printed name before taking her sample.
"No, you didn't," King said emphatically.
The assistant continued rambling and then blamed the snafu on her typing, saying:
"I type really fast. I don't double-check when I'm typing fast."
The woman then alleged that she had asked King to double-check the label before providing the sample, which King claimed wasn't true, and proceeded to change her story.
"Additionally, what I'm having a problem with now is that you're straight-up fabricating that we checked the name on the bottle when we did not," King said.
After back-and-forth contradictory statements about whether or not the staff member checked the bottle, King said, "This is ridiculous. I'm done with this conversation."
The video concluded with the TikToker asking for the name of the staff member who created the offensive label.
King captioned the video post with:
"@Perlmanclinic this is beyond unacceptable. My story is just one instance of blatant racism. Things like this are happening every single day."
"I am making the decision to use my personal social media as a platform to continue to bring awareness to the gravity of how out of control things have gotten in the United States and in the world. This action is incomprehensibly bad."
"It's the kind of action that leaves one without words. Do better humans. Do better."
Social media users were enraged over the incident and were convinced that the staff member's insult was deliberate.
@kierraking616/TikTok
@kierraking616/TikTok
@kierraking616/TikTok
@kierraking616/TikTok
After receiving a flood of supportive messages, King posted a follow-up, writing:
"Hi all. I appreciate the support and advocacy regarding my most recent post. I have a lot going on right now but I am of course taking action and plan to give updates as they come and I am able to."
King went on to thank everyone for standing behind her in the unsettling ordeal.
"I refuse to stay silent," she continued. "When I stood up for myself in that clinic, I stood up for all women. I stood up for all black people. This must stop."
@kierraking616/TikTok
People were fuming on her behalf.
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In a second follow-up clip, King said she was "overwhelmed" by the viral reaction to her story and continued expressing gratitude for the support she received in the comments.
@kierraking616 update🤍 #thankyou #gracias #selfcare #heartfull #change #grateful #español #standupforlove #blackgirlmagic
Supporters continued weighing in.
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@kierraking616/TikTok
@kierraking616/TikTok
@kierraking616/TikTok
King, who moved to San Diego, California, three years ago by way of the Chicago suburbs, endeavored to continue fighting on behalf of all Black women by speaking up.
She updated her followers to say that she reported the individual to the clinic, her insurance provider, and the city.
She filmed the clip before heading over to urgent care to get her medical needs taken care of, because she is an advocate for self-care.
"You have to make sure YOU are good. So that's what I'm doing right now. I'm making sure Kierra King is good," she emphasized.
