If it was 'irrational anger' why direct it at some preteen girls? why was it only *some* of them - the ones who already avoided those students - who suddenly treated them worse?
It was more a mask-off moment; the racists felt safe to be open about it. And we did not punch enough of them in the face to put that shit down when we could, now it's become the basis of the last 25 years of US governance.