ABCNews recently shot a controversial video in a Soho boutique where a racist clerk and security guard visibly and loudly harassed a black shopper:

shopping-while-black

They wanted to see if fellow shoppers would do anything to stop the injustice. The result? Out of 100 shoppers, only 20 stepped in to defend the shopper, and most of those 20 were fellow minorities.

Click here to watch. Does this shock you? Have you ever been a victim of ‘shopping while black’?

Thanks to Hip Candy for the story.

13 thoughts on “Have you Been a Victim of Shopping While Black?”

  1. Wow! That’s disturbing. Sadly it is that way in some places. You think Soho is bad….come to DC and try to shop at a boutique in Georgetown or anywhere on Wisconsin Ave! I think it’s even worse for young black people because they assume young people don’t have money and on top of that your black so your really don’t have money.

  2. wow, that video floored me. I cant believe the lack of support and that guys comment about playing the “black card”!!!!!! WTF!!!!!

  3. That video was extremely disturbing but nonetheless a reality for many. I myself recently began wearing a headscarf which is worn by many Muslim women in Toronto where I live. I find myself being ignored in upscale stores many of which I regularly shop at, the same staff who would pleasantly greet me prior to wearing a headscarf now choose not to. I find myself getting irritated by this behaviour and when I can work up enough courage often approach sales staff, on one occasion I asked a manager to look up my record on the store database. She proceeded to ask me “if I was sure I had a record at that store”, I was persistent, upon entering my information and realizing I had made numerous purchases over the last year she changed her tune. I immediately asked for her name and informed her that although I may not fit the image of her typical shopper I was entitled to the same service and treatment. I took the issue further by emailing the store manager who offered an apology on her behalf.

    Despite this bad experience I will not allow ignorant and close minded people to prevent me from shopping in the stores I choose to. It is very easy for people who have never experienced such blatant discrimination to deem it as an over reaction.

  4. We live in Alabama and my mom sometimes wears a wig, sometime wears her hair natural. She says she notices a difference between the way everyone treats her, even other black people. So weird.

  5. I LOVE that show! and this does not surprise me at all, When i feel watched or uncomfrtable in a store I jus leave…yall should’ve saw the episode where they had a waiter drop a customers food on the floor and serve it to them, not that many people said anything but watched the person eat it.

  6. HELL YEA I’ve been a victim of shopping while black. I do notice a difference depending on how I look (casual clothes vs work clothes for instance). When I am in serious shop mode I like to throw on sweats so I can slip in and out easily when trying on so I’ve definitely been “assisted” more than necessary. Heck, just this Saturday some woman was following me around TJMAXX. Unfortunately you either get used to it or just stop shopping damn near everywhere.

  7. Wow…thats really depressing… I wonder what would happen if that was done in London.

  8. It is a sad reality, but it can be solved by simply not even shopping there and best of all >> shop online! Save yourself the hassle and the drama. Just feel sorry for them working there… a lot of hate/racism comes from the fact that non-blacks always feel they need to look down on black people and it really pains them when we make it big and have more money in the bank than them.

  9. This was so disturbing, my heart sank watching this, mostly because it happened to me at bloomingdale’s and get this, I worked there for almost 1 1/2 years and was rehired.
    Fortunately, based on my experience, I knew when I was being followed. I went off on him plus made a scene and he quickly left my side.
    I was shopping too and had a shopping bag in my hand with items I purchased in the bag. Crazy and sad at the same time, huh…
    I didn’t go back to Bloomingdales’s for a long time after that incident.

  10. Wow it gave me chills to watch that, but im glad I did because now I know how important it is for me to not just watch & actually react & help if something like this ever occurs in my presence.

    Thank you

Comments are closed.