Singer Arooj Aftab Suggests White People Should Not Sit on Stoops in Brooklyn Neighborhood

Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab said white people should not be allowed to sit on stoops in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn during an episode of the online comedy show Subway Takes. Aftab stated that the practice looks bad and is aesthetically not as good, especially for the neighborhood.

She added that more white people moving into the area and inviting friends to sit on stoops is rude to the history of the place.

The episode was recorded while Aftab and host Kareem Rahma rode the New York City subway. Rahma responded with shock and said he disagreed 100 percent with the suggestion. Rahma agreed that the sight was aesthetically not as good but did not elaborate further on the point.

Aftab said she has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. Census data show the Black population fell from 74 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2023 while the white population rose from about 2 percent to 26 percent. Aftab noted that she does not sit on her own stoop even though she is not white.

Rahma said he could sit on a stoop because he could pass for Black and no one would object. The clip was posted online Thursday.