‘Y’all still keep buying these cars’: Tesla racism trial sparks calls for boycott

Black social media users are questioning why consumers continue to support Tesla as the company faces allegations of pervasive racism at its Fremont factory.

As Tesla faces a high-profile racial discrimination trial over allegations that Black workers endured years of harassment and unequal treatment, some Black social media users are asking a pointed question: Why are people still buying Tesla vehicles?

The backlash erupted in the comments of a recent theGrio Instagram post about Tesla’s defense in the California case, which has drawn criticism for arguing that the N-word can be used in certain workplace contexts without necessarily constituting racial harassment.

“And yall still keep buying these cars lol. Crazy work,” one commenter wrote. The remark had received more than 4,000 likes in the comments as of Sunday.

Another commenter wrote, “And yall keep buying those trucks and cars,” while another said, “Will never understand why Black people buy Teslas.”

The reaction reflects growing frustration among some Black consumers as allegations against Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory play out in court — and as the company’s legal defense has placed the use of a racial slur at the center of renewed scrutiny.

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Tesla’s defense draws backlash

The California Civil Rights Department sued Tesla in 2022, alleging that Black workers at the company’s Fremont factory were subjected to pervasive racial harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

The state alleges that Black employees encountered racial slurs and racist graffiti at the plant, were disproportionately assigned to lower-level and physically demanding jobs, were paid less than white workers and faced fewer opportunities for advancement. The agency also alleges that workers who complained about discrimination faced retaliation.

The case went to trial Sept. 21 in Alameda County Superior Court before Judge Peter Borkon. The bench trial, which has no jury, is expected to continue through October.

During opening arguments, Tesla attorney Tyree Jones argued that California’s case failed to adequately account for the context in which Black people sometimes use the N-word among themselves.

Jones, who is Black, said the state was attacking “the way that many Black people greet each other, express respect for each other, and express endearment and love for each other,” according to Bloomberg Law.

He argued that there is a distinction between a white person directing the slur at a Black employee and Black workers using the word among themselves in what they consider a friendly context.

That argument quickly became a flashpoint online.

“Never in all my Black years of living have I ever been ‘greeted’ by the n-word, especially in a professional setting,” one commenter on theGrio’s Instagram post wrote. “The trick here is reverse racism. In other words, well the Blacks do it, why can’t we?”

The comment had received more than 2,400 likes.

Another commenter questioned the legal strategy itself, writing that the lawsuit is about employees experiencing a hostile work environment and that Tesla’s argument appeared to be missing the larger issue.

“The lawsuit is about employees experiencing a hostile work environment in part due to the ways racial slurs were used,” the commenter wrote. “And Tesla’s argument is to bring out a Black attorney and have him say the N-word in court because it’s [acceptable] … I feel like we’re in the upside down.”

What Black workers say happened inside Tesla

The state’s allegations go well beyond the use of one word.

In opening arguments, California Civil Rights Department attorney Brett Watson presented photographs of graffiti allegedly found throughout the Fremont factory, including the N-word, swastikas, a Confederate flag and white supremacist symbols. The state also alleges that racist messages were found in bathrooms, lockers, lunch areas and other workplace spaces.

Watson told the court that one Black worker reported hearing racial slurs as many as 50 to 100 times a day.

The state also alleges that Black workers were subjected to racial insults, threats and discriminatory treatment and that Tesla failed to adequately respond to complaints.

Workers allegedly referred to the factory as “the plantation” and “the slaveship,” according to evidence presented by the state.

California’s Civil Rights Department says a review of Tesla pay data from June 2018 through June 2024 found that Black workers received an average of $1,533 less in monthly compensation than white workers. The agency also alleges that Black employees were concentrated in more physically demanding positions and were more likely to face discipline or termination.

Tesla has denied the allegations.

Tesla says it does not tolerate racism

Tesla has maintained that it strongly opposes discrimination and harassment and has said