With over 28 million views on Facebook, people are applauding this man for his intervention and wise words.
A video of Ibn Ali a 27-year-old man in Atlantic City, NJ who breaks up a fight between teenage boys has gone viral for being incredibly touching.
“All y’all with y’all phone out, everybody with y’all phones out, y’all are the real cowards,” Ali says as he approaches the group of kids. “All y’all are the real cowards. Record that. Everybody on the phone, record that.”
Going on to say, “You’re more mad than he is,” addressing a teen in a white shirt who was later identified as 15-year-old straight-A student Jamar Mobley. “I can see it in your face. So you fighting for a reason. He only fighting you because you want to fight him.”
He asks the boys what they’re fighting for, pointing out that their friends are recording but not jumping in to help. Ali also points out how dangerous it is that they’re doing this in the middle of a public street and that they were raised better than this.
It particularly gets deep when he begins to recognize a couple of the kids standing around.
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“Don’t make your parents look like this… don’t make your mom look like this,” Ali says, going on to point out specific kids, “Aye, yo, you. I know where you’re from. Humble beginnings. Your mom and dad worked hard to get where they at.”
To another boy he says, “Little bro, your dad doing life. You think it’s a game out here?! Aint no game out here, it’s real out here, bruh.”
He eventually convinces the two teens to shake hands.
The Facebook post of the video is currently at 28 million views and counting.
According to NBC Philadelphia, Ali is a local father who played high school football in Atlantic City and is taking college courses. Ali said he’s humbled by all the attention but he doesn’t wish to step into the spotlight.
They also note the impact of Ali’s words because of all the recent deaths in the area.
“What he did was pretty indicative of what I’ve come to know from him as a person,” Ali’s friend Ramal Ford to the news outlet. “I applaud him. He understood how to deescalate the situation and sometimes it’s just the right words.”
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