Do you think this is the right way to deal with racism in the workplace?

A friend of mine, who is African-American, works at an airport, and he encountered an older white man who said to him, “You people used to be working at the back of the ticket counters, get out of my way and get someone else.”

My friend responded, “Well sir, that may have been in the past but today this is what we have on staff. Now if you feel it’s an inconvenience to you, I’ll be more than happy to direct you to the terminal 15 minutes from here where I’m sure it’ll be more to your liking.” The man responded by saying, “I don’t have time for that. Just check me in here and I’ll be on my way!” My friend politely responded, “Yes sir. Thank you for flying American.”

When my friend retold this interaction to me, I got upset that my friend bent over backwards to be nice to the man. I understand that it’s his job to be polite to every customer, but I think he could have at least acknowledged the man’s ignorance, while still being courteous.

What are your thoughts?