A 90-Year-Old Rᴀᴄɪsᴛ Woman Tells Big Shaq, ‘Go Back to Africa’—His Response Stuns the Crowd

 

Rᴀᴄɪsᴛ Woman Tells Big Shaq ‘Go Back to Africa’—His Response Leaves the Crowd Speechless!

 

One sunny afternoon, Big Shaq, known for his towering presence and fame as a basketball legend, decided to visit his usual corner store. Despite his celebrity status and impressive physique—standing over two meters tall—he enjoyed the simple pleasure of grocery shopping. It was his way of unwinding after long, demanding days.

Casually dressed in a gray t-shirt, jeans, and a shiny watch, Shaq strolled into the bustling store with his usual friendly demeanor. The staff, familiar with his visits, greeted him warmly, and he returned their smiles as he picked up a basket and began walking through the aisles.

Stopping at the cereal section, Shaq browsed the shelves with focused attention, carefully reading labels to find something nutritious. He was so absorbed in his task that he didn’t notice an elderly woman, Mrs. Margaret, approaching behind him. She was a petite lady with snow-white hair, leaning on a cane and pushing a squeaky cart.

“Excuse me, young man!” her voice rang out sharply. “How am I supposed to get my cereal when you’re standing in the way?”

Startled, Shaq turned around to face her. Seeing her stern expression, he quickly stepped aside with a polite smile. “Sorry about that, ma’am,” he said warmly.

 

 

But Mrs. Margaret wasn’t finished. Glancing up at him with a disapproving look, she muttered, “They’ll let anyone in here these days. No standards anymore.”

Her words carried a tone of prejudice that Shaq couldn’t ignore. Though her remark stung, he chose to remain calm, a principle he’d held onto throughout his life. With a deep breath, he resumed browsing, determined not to let her words ruin his day.

As Shaq moved to leave the aisle, Mrs. Margaret suddenly shouted, her voice loud and accusatory. “Security! Someone get security here now!”

The store fell silent as customers turned to see what was happening. A young security guard hurried over, looking bewildered. Mrs. Margaret pointed at Shaq with a trembling finger.

“Get him out of here! People like him don’t belong here. Send him back to Africa!”

Time seemed to stand still. Shaq stood motionless, processing the hateful words. Though his expression remained composed, the hurt was evident in his eyes. He had faced prejudice before, but the blatant venom in her words was a painful reminder of the challenges he still endured.

The security guard hesitated, glancing between Mrs. Margaret and Shaq. “Ma’am,” he said carefully, “he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s just shopping.”

Mrs. Margaret’s face flushed with anger. “Are you refusing to listen to me?” she demanded, banging her cane on the floor. “Get the manager!”

Moments later, the store manager arrived, looking serious. Mrs. Margaret wasted no time, pointing again at Shaq. “I want him out of this store. Now!”

Before the manager could respond, Shaq stepped forward. His deep, steady voice filled the aisle. “Ma’am,” he began, his tone calm but firm, “I understand that you may not be used to seeing someone like me here. But I’m just here to shop, like you and everyone else. I’m a son, a friend, a hardworking man, and a citizen of this community. My skin color doesn’t change that.”

 

The store remained silent as Shaq continued, his words powerful yet full of grace. “I’ve faced comments like yours before. They’re hurtful, but I choose not to respond with anger. Instead, I feel sad—sad that someone who has lived as long as you have could hold onto such outdated views.”

Mrs. Margaret faltered, her eyes dropping to the floor. Shaq’s voice softened. “I have a grandmother about your age. She taught me to respect my elders because they’ve seen and experienced things I never will. But if she were here and heard the words you said to me, I think she’d feel disappointed.”

The room was heavy with emotion. A few shoppers wiped their eyes, moved by Shaq’s composure and sincerity.

“You’ve seen the world change,” Shaq said gently. “If your grandchildren heard what happened here today, would they be proud? Is this the legacy you want to leave behind?”

Mrs. Margaret’s hands trembled as tears welled in her eyes. Her voice quivered as she finally spoke. “I… I didn’t think of it that way. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Shaq gave her a kind smile. “It’s okay, ma’am. We all make mistakes. What’s important is learning from them.”

The aisle erupted in applause. Mrs. Margaret reached out, placing a hand on Shaq’s arm. Her voice was now soft and genuine. “Thank you for teaching me this,” she said.

Shaq nodded. “We can all learn from one another. That’s how we grow.”

The tension in the store dissolved. The manager thanked Shaq for his grace, and customers approached to express their admiration. Even Mrs. Margaret, now visibly humbled, left with a warm smile.

As Shaq exited the store that evening, the golden sunset bathed the street in a peaceful glow. He felt a sense of fulfillment, knowing he had transformed a moment of hostility into one of understanding and humanity.

 

The story spread through the community, becoming a powerful reminder of compassion and forgiveness. Mrs. Margaret, once known for her biases, began greeting everyone with kindness, while Shaq continued to inspire others with his big heart and unshakable belief in the power of kindness.

SEE MORE: LeBron James says he ‘absolutely’ considered swapping the NBA for the NFL during the 2011 lockout

LeBron James has achieved almost everything you can in the NBA. But for a brief moment, it could’ve been a very different story.

James is a well-known, passionate NFL fan – he has been seen throughout the years at games involving his hometown Cleveland Browns – but during the 2011 NBA lockout, he “absolutely” considered switching the hardwood for the gridiron.

“I didn’t know when we were going to make the deal with the owners and get our league back going,” James said on Wednesday’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Super Bowl-winning brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. “So I actually thought about it a little bit back then.

“I was still young enough to get out there with y’all. That’s the only time I’ve seriously considered it. I’ve had serious dreams about this sh*t all the time. And in my dream, the ball is never kicked off. It’s me in the warmups, it’s me coming out, running my routes and right when the game starts, I f**king wake up or some sh*t. That lets me know I’m not supposed to be out there.”

NBA action stopped in 2011 due to a lockout.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

James is one of basketball’s greatest ever players, but before he was drafted into the NBA in 2003, he was a star at the high school level in both football and hoops.

He led St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to three basketball state championships while also playing wide receiver for the school, being named First Team All-State in his sophomore year.

James was even the subject of offers from some of college football’s biggest names, recalling that then-Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel’s attempted to recruit him to be a dual-sport athlete before James entered the NBA draft. He was also courted by Urban Meyer, according to ESPN.

“I walked into the school (St. Vincent-St. Mary High), the coach, Jim Meyer, great guy, probably in 1998 or ’99, and he said: ‘Hey, come here a minute. I want to show you this. What do you think of this kid?’” Urban Meyer said, according to ESPN. “I started watching the video, and I was like: ‘Oh, my God.’ He was six-foot-whatever, obviously real big back then, too.

“He asked me what I thought and I said: ‘I want to offer him right now. Who is he?’” he continued, hoping to recruit James to Notre Dame where Meyer was the wide receivers coach at the time.

Eventually, James chose a career involving hoops rather than goallines but the thought has apparently always lingered in his head.

When asked who he imagined he could have compared to if he had chosen the NFL, James highlighted some legends.

“Probably a mix between (four-time Super Bowl winner Rob Gronkowski) and Randy Moss, but he’s a lot smaller than me,” the 40-year-old explained. “He runs a lot faster than me, but he’s a lot smaller than me, but like Megatron (three-time first-team All Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson), we have that same like stature as far as like build. (Six-time first-team All Pro tight end) Tony Gonzalez, with him and his size, he played basketball as well, I used to love his celebration where he used to dunk on the goalposts.”

James’ footballing skill in high school led to many suggesting he could have a successful career in the NFL if he’d gone that route.

And when he was asked whether it would be harder to transition from the NBA to the NFL or vice versa, James said he’d put some thought into it.

“I want to say that I think it’s easier for a basketball player to try NFL over the NFL player trying to get in the NBA,” he said. “And I know we’ve got some great athletes. … (If) an NBA guy decides to go play in the NFL, yes, it’s going to take a transition period. For me, it would’ve been like getting used to getting hit again.

“I remember from high school when I would go from summertime playing basketball, playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) ball and then going into the fall and having to get used to getting hit again. Those first few practices when you put on them shoulder pads and the helmets, getting hit again is the most important thing.

“Football going to basketball, it’s such more coordination and running and jumping, consistent,” he added, while also saying he believed current NBA players Russell Westbrook or Anthony Edwards would have the most success swapping to the NFL.