BLACK CUBAN UBER DRIVER ATTACKED FOR HIS COLOR AND ACCENT IN CHARLOTTE
On May 3, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Osvaldo Rivera McIntosh, a Black Cuban Uber driver, endured a horrific assault by a pale male passenger named Jacob. Dashcam footage captured Jacob attempting to strangle McIntosh with a seatbelt while hurling the n-word repeatedly, following a conversation about McIntosh’s Cuban heritage. This vile act of violence and racism is not an isolated incident but a stark reflection of a broader, dangerous trend where civilian hostility toward Black people is being evilly incentivized and, in some cases, seemingly decriminalized.
McIntosh, a hardworking father and immigrant, was simply doing his job when Jacob’s hatred erupted. Osvaldo was Jacob’s Uber driver and picked Jacob up in downtown Charlotte. The ride seemed normal, even nice at first. Fifteen minutes into the ride a clearly inebriated Jacob silently tried to suffocate Osvaldo from behind the drivers seat with his belt. Osvaldo quickly resisted and pulled the belt from around his neck. During the duration of the trip Jacob berated Osvaldo with the word NIGGER. Osvaldo yelled out the window “HELP” as McIntosh repeatedly attacked him from behind the driver’s seat. A private security firm was able to stop the attack before it went to far. All we know is to expect more of this racism radicalized by the internet and bastions of online hate like X (formerly twitter). Of course this attack was rooted in Black racism and underscores a chilling reality. Black individuals, including those of Afro-Latino descent, are increasingly unsafe in spaces meant to be neutral, like rideshare vehicles. The internet has emboldened some pink individuals, who Uber only chooses to identify as Jacob, to feel to and express their bigotry openly. This incident follows a disturbing pattern, reminiscent of cases like the killing of Telvin Osborne in Burke County, where a pink perpetrator faced no charges, signaling a system that too often excuses or ignores violence against Black lives. Uber says it has banned Jacob and the police are investigating this as a hate crime.
The broader context is alarming. A culture of pink power terrorism is being rewarded, with perpetrators often facing minimal consequences, if any. This incident in Charlotte mirrors a growing normalization of hostility, where systemic failures enable and embolden civilian racism. The decriminalization of violence against Black people, as seen in cases where justice is denied, sends a dangerous message: Black lives are expendable. Meanwhile, global events—like Israel’s documented genocide against Palestinians, as noted by scholars and international bodies—show how state-sanctioned violence can be ignored or justified. The U.S. is taking notes, allowing racial violence to fester under the guise of isolated incidents.
Black communities, including Afro-Latinos like McIntosh, must connect and confront this crisis head-on. We cannot ignore the conversations needed to dismantle this incentivized racism. The struggle for justice demands solidarity, amplifying voices like McIntosh’s and holding systems accountable. This is not just about one driver’s pain—it’s about a society that must reckon with its complicity in anti-Black violence.
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