‘Getting a Little Too Dark in Here’: A Former Long Island Bartender Says She Witnessed Bars Deliberately Pushing Out Black Patrons

A video posted by TikTok creator @samcantshutup alleges that some Long Island bars deliberately discouraged Black patrons. So below it, social media users shared similar experiences or questioned the account. In the video, the creator recounts her experiences working as a bartender at several Long Island establishments. She claims that management at an Irish pub canceled a weekly Wing Night after it attracted more Black customers.

Then they replaced it with a country-themed line dancing event, even though the previous promotion was more profitable.

According to the creator, the Wednesday Wing Night had become one of the pub's busiest evenings, featuring drink specials, discounted wings, and a DJ. She said the music had shifted toward hip-hop, which she said coincided with an increase in Black patrons. But the creator alleged that management first removed the DJ and then ultimately canceled Wing Night altogether.

When she asked why, a manager told her it was "getting a little too dark in here." She says she initially did not understand it.

She said a coworker later explained that the comment referred to the increase in Black customers. The creator said she challenged the reasoning because, in her experience, those patrons were "great customers," who used to stay for hours, spend money and tipped well.

She also said she encountered similar attitudes at other Long Island bars where she later worked. In the video, she claimed some venues discouraged DJs from playing hip-hop after attracting Black crowds; another allegedly stopped selling Hennessy because management viewed it as "a Black drink." The creator did not identify the establishments by name, and the Daily Dot could not independently verify the allegations either.

When the clip was shared on X, it got 584,000 views as of publication. Some users said the story raises issues of racial discrimination in the hospitality industry. One wrote, "Studies have shown racism and white supremacy cost the US economy billions every year. This anecdote goes to prove that point." Another user said they had encountered similar experiences while working in North Carolina: "How can people still behave like this?"

Another X user remarked, "Sounds like someone should open a wing pub there; it would be a gold mine." However, several users also questioned whether the story was actually true, with one saying, "You know her story is fake because she went so over the top."

Civil rights researchers and academic studies have documented instances of racial bias in restaurants and bars, including in service and treatment. Still, the specific allegations made in this video are unverified.