Tumi Mhlongo had a rough start on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, but she has already proven to be an amazing Chief Stew. After stepping onboard, Tumi quickly found herself in conflict with fellow stew Natalya Scudder, who had briefly served as Interim Chief Stew. The feud between the two women caused viewers to pick sides, which turned many against Tumi. However, Tumi does not deserve the criticism she receives from Below Deck fans, for a number of reasons.
Tumi Has Received Multiple Messages Attacking Her For Her Race
Tumi is the first African Chief Stew on the Below Deck franchise, which is a huge win for diversity! During several confessionals, Tumi has opened up about struggles in her past that were caused by racism. Tumi explained that during her school years, many of her classmates would make fun of her for her race. Unfortunately, some people never grow out of their ignorance, as Tumi has received more hateful comments since Season 8 has began airing.
Some of the negative comments Tumi has received indicated that she was merely a diversity hire, which is completely unacceptable and just not true. It is clear that Tumi has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today, and that has absolutely nothing to do with the color of her skin. Hard work deserves to be rewarded, and Captain Sandy Yawn even emphasized that Tumi had a profound reputation in the yachting industry.
Tumi eventually spoke out on the comments she had received, and admitted that she tried to keep silent at first. However, the hate messages ultimately became too much for her, and she decided to speak out on them. Tumi emphasized that if viewers do not stop spamming with her racist remarks, she will not hesitate to call them out individually. You tell them Tumi!
Tumi’s Work Ethic Is Truly Unmatched
One of the only things viewers should be judging Tumi on is how well she does her job, which she is excellent at. Tumi was definitely ready for a Chief Stew position, and she has done an outstanding job on her first two charters. It is also evident that Tumi knows how to lead a team, despite Natalya’s objections over being made 3rd Stew. Tumi ranked her stews using a certain strategy, which already seems to be benefiting the entire interior team.
Tumi is not one to take the shortcut when doing her work, which is a good quality to have when it comes to being Chief Stew. The Chief Stew has a lot on their plate, and Tumi truly puts her all into everything she does. She also commented on Natalya’s strong work ethic, and even suggested that it may be difficult to get along since they are actually similar. Tumi is an amazing Chief Stew, and she does not deserve any hate from viewers for doing her job well.
Tumi Has Done Her Best To Maintain Positive Relationships With The Crew
While Tumi had a rough start with Natalya, she has made many efforts to repair their relationship, and deserves credit for that. Tumi and Natalya got into a heated conversation during their first meeting, although it was clear Tumi was willing to move on. Natalya, on the other hand, kept looking for reasons to keep being mad at Tumi, which was childish.
Shortly afterward, Tumi asked Natalya if the two could talk privately. Tumi was friendly in her approach and it really seemed like she wanted to start over with Natalya on a clean slate. Furthermore. when the two women were called in to meet with Captain Sandy, Tumi admitted she was wrong right after laughing at something Natalya said. While Tumi has made mistakes, she never fails to take accountability for her actions, which says something.
Tumi also got off on the wrong foot with Chef Jack Luby, although they also quickly repaired their relationship. Jack admitted that he had the wrong impression of Tumi, and complimented her on her strong work ethic. Tumi is a team player, who has gone out of her way to be kind to her fellow crew members. Tumi does not deserve any hate, so viewers need to really sit and think before making such inappropriate comments.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TUMI AS A CHIEF STEW?
