This week has been tough for me, and countless others in the US. We were shaken to the core by a senseless tragedy that has our community reeling and wondering, am I next? That could have been my nieces or nephews, my cousins, or the scores of youth in my community… It hit way too close to home, and honestly, the last time I felt this vulnerable and so much despair was after the 9/11 attacks. I have screaming from the rooftops that it NEVER used to be like this. I did not grow up in fear, experience hate or bigotry because of my looks or name. This week has had me struggling with the world my children are growing up in, and wondering how I’m going to teach them to be strong and confident Muslims. . But then, something inconspicuous happens that restores your faith in humanity and reminds you why you love this wonderful country America, that we call home…these strangers at Target are the friends, colleagues, peers, Christians, Jews and atheists that I know America to be…NOT Craig Stephen Hicks.
We can now officially celebrate the sheer kindness caught in this blurry photo taken from the aisle of a Raleigh, North Carolina, Target store, which has gone viral with more than 55,000 likes onFacebook alone.
“I didn’t expect the kindness of strangers,” Audrey Marx, who took the photo, told ABC News. “You don’t expect humanity on isle 11 of a big-box store.”
Target Teen Yasir Moore Returns to Store After Job Interview
Target Workers Help Teen Prep For Job Interview
The quiet 15-year-old in the black suit was looking for a clip-on tie for his first job interview, but Target only sells regular ties. That’s when Dennis Roberts, Cyndi Moore and Cathy Scott came to his rescue.
“When Dennis was tying the tie, we took the time, ‘Look presentable, tie your shoe laces, tuck your shirt in,’ we were giving him pointers,” Cyndi explained of their interaction. “He was just soaking everything in, taking it all in."
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This is more than just good customer service. Yasir Moore learned how to shake hands and look his interviewer in the eye.
“They could have just sold my son a tie,” Moore’s mother, Najirah Parrish, told ABC News station WTVD-TV in Durham, North Carolina. “But they took the time, helped him tie the tie and talked to him. They treated my son with dignity, respect.”
And now, after two interviews with the Chick-fil-A restaurant at a mall near his home, ABC News knew something that Moore didn’t. He was going to get that first job.
“I think we are ready to offer you a job at the mall,” Chick-fil-A’s manager, David Langston, told a surprised Moore in the food court.
Out came the cameras and a few special guests from the Target store who were hiding, patiently waiting for him to get the good news.
“You look beautiful,” they told Moore, giving him big hugs.
When asked when he’ll actually start the new job, Langston replied, “As soon as he is ready!”
“I can start tomorrow,” Moore said, smiling ear to ear.
As for any advice the newly employed young man would give others, “Any advice you can, grab it,” he said. “These people right here helped me so much. Be respectful to people who are trying to help you out. Soak it all in.”
His mother and his new friends from Target were all in tears as they celebrated his accomplishment.
“We are so proud of you,” said Moore. “We are here. We are just so proud of you.
**“You are ours now. You know that don’t you?” Scott added. “You have more than one mother.”
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