The family of senior Albert Harrold is in the national spotlight, but for all the wrong reasons.

Harrold’s uncle is Keyon Harrold Sr., whose story about his son being falsely accused of stealing a cellphone garnered national media attention last month. Recorded by a shaky iPhone in the lobby of an Arlo hotel in Soho, New York, the footage shows a woman verbally and physically assaulting Harrold Jr. (Albert’s cousin) over false allegations that he had stolen her phone. After the video was posted by Harrold Sr., a prominent jazz musician who has worked with SLUH’s jazz bands in the past, it quickly made rounds on social media, becoming another viral incident that features baseless accusations against young black people. The story was eventually picked up by major news outlets, and Harrold Jr.’s story spread to an even wider audience.

SLUH senior Albert Harrold, though, being a close family member, was one of the first to hear about the event. 

“When I first heard about it, it was right after it had happened. My uncle sent the video to a family group chat and my parents showed it to me in the car,” said Harrold. 

The video sparked outrage in his family, but the initial recording didn’t even capture the full scope of the incident. 

“I was upset,” said Harrold. “After that, I called my cousin to see if he was ok. The video doesn’t show everything that the hotel footage shows that was later released. We didn’t see her putting her hands on him but he told us that she (had).”

For Harrold Jr., the primary victim of the event, the reaction was less immediate, as Harrold later learned.  

“He said he didn’t know how to feel,” said Harrold. “He was feeling too many emotions at once.” 

In response, the family of Keyon Harrold Jr., who is now in counselling to recover from the incident, opted to press charges against the woman, claiming that her actions warrant the status of hate crime. After being officially charged with counts of attempted robbery and assault, among others, the woman in the clip is due in court later this March. In the meantime, the Harrolds are left to grapple with her actions and try to find a way forward, even though the wounds are fresh.

“I don’t think that I would want to talk to her,” said Harrold, when asked what he would say to the woman.

As the Harrold family begins the recovery process, they join an unfortunately long list of black people who have been unfairly accused and attacked by white people in everyday settings, including parks, retail stores, and, now, hotel lobbies. It’s a story that Albert finds too familiar.

“This stuff happens all the time. It definitely hurts more (this time), and I feel it more definitely, but am I surprised that it happened? Not at all,” said Harrold. 

In fact, to Harrold, the situation seemed eerily similar to that of Emmit Till, who was brutally murdered as a result of false accusations.

As for other SLUH students, especially white ones, Harrold believes the assault of his cousin should spark awareness and change, even if it may seem far away. 

 “I think you have to realize your privilege, one, and use your privilege to speak on these incidents,” said Harrold. “Use that advantage that you have just by being white in America to speak on that injustice.”