A Black retail worker says she was left “dehumanised” after a shocking incident at a US medical clinic.
Kierra King, 26, visited a Perlman Clinic branch in San Diego, California, on March 27th for a routine appointment.
She was given a self-test kit by a medical assistant but was stunned when she noticed the name printed on her sample.
Instead of her real name, the tube was labelled “King Kong” — a term she described as racist and deeply humiliating.
Kierra quickly snapped a photo of the tube, which she later shared online, showing the offensive label where her name should’ve been.
Shock and disbelief
Kierra said she couldn’t believe what she was reading when she opened the kit in the bathroom.
“I was in shock and cannot even express what it felt like,” she told followers after sharing her experience.
The 26-year-old explained she had tried to make sense of it, at first giving the benefit of the doubt.
But she said the words on the tube made her feel “dehumanised” and “hateful,” adding that it was more painful than people might imagine.
“Your name is your identity,” Kierra explained. “To have this instead — it was terrible and I can’t describe the feeling.”
When she left the bathroom, she immediately asked for a supervisor and challenged the clinic staff about the offensive label.
The staff response
Kierra says the assistant who made the label initially tried to pass it off as an autocorrect mistake.
In footage filmed at the clinic, she claimed the woman also insisted she had shown the tube to Kierra earlier.
According to Kierra, the assistant suggested she had approved the label reading “King Kong” before completing her test.
She described this as a blatant lie and an attempt to gaslight her into questioning what she had just seen.
“She was going to make me believe we had gone over this information, but we didn’t,” Kierra later said.
The assistant also allegedly claimed that “Kierra” had autocorrected to “Kong,” something the patient says was impossible.
Kierra said: “That was ridiculous and I caught her in her lie. It was blatantly racist, nothing accidental about it.”
After the appointment, Kierra filed a complaint and later decided to share her story on TikTok.
Her first video, posted on March 29th, quickly went viral and has since gained more than 1.4 million likes.
In the video, she holds the sample tube and explains exactly what happened inside the clinic that day.
The clip sparked outrage, with thousands of viewers commenting on the blatant racism and lack of accountability.
Many supported Kierra, encouraging her to pursue justice, while others expressed shock that this could happen in a medical setting.
Speaking about her decision to share the video, she said she wanted people to understand how painful such “mistakes” really are.
Clinic’s response
On its website, Perlman Clinic lists its values as treating patients with respect and striving for excellence.
However, after Kierra’s post went viral, the clinic faced backlash for how the situation was initially handled.
She said the first email she received from staff simply described the incident as an “accident” and offered an apology.
Kierra didn’t accept that explanation, insisting it was deliberate and not something that could be brushed aside.
“It was intentional,” she said. “I was exhausted from having to fight for basic rights and to be treated as human.”
Following growing attention, Perlman Clinic later posted statements on TikTok addressing the situation.
One since-deleted post read: “We are aware of the incident and take this matter extremely seriously. An immediate investigation is underway.”
The message continued: “We sincerely regret the distress this caused and are committed to accountability and respectful, equitable care.”
Another video, still live on their account, added: “Diversity is at the core of who we are, and every patient matters to us.”
Kierra, however, remains unconvinced by their attempts to control the narrative.
Kierra says she is still processing what happened and has struggled emotionally since the incident.
“I am still on my journey to healing and processing,” she admitted. “It was a hard hit and deeply painful.”
She explained that the incident forced her to grieve what she had been labelled as.
“It wasn’t just a mistake, it was hateful,” she said. “It’s something that stays with you.”
Although she didn’t have to pay for her appointment, Kierra says that doesn’t undo the trauma she experienced.
“Not only did they fail to treat my medical issue, I was racially discriminated against on top of that,” she said.
Wider reaction
Kierra’s video has led to a huge online conversation about racism in healthcare settings.
Many users commented that the “autocorrect excuse” was unacceptable, while others demanded stronger accountability.
Some highlighted that names don’t autocorrect to racist stereotypes, especially not “King Kong.”
One TikTok user wrote: “They can’t call that an accident. That’s pure racism, no excuses.”
Another added: “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. You deserve better.”
Others expressed frustration that racism continues to impact Black patients seeking basic medical care.
Kierra says she hopes her story can raise awareness and prevent similar incidents happening to others.
“I think it’s important to keep speaking up,” she explained. “We shouldn’t have to accept this kind of treatment.”
She added that she’s determined to continue healing and reclaiming her sense of self-worth.
“Your name is who you are,” she repeated. “No one has the right to strip that away or replace it.”
Perlman Clinic has promised to take action, but critics say they need to prove real changes are being made.
For Kierra, the experience has been a brutal reminder of how far there is still to go.
Featured image credit: Kennedy News/@kierrakinggg
