“If you are allergic to black people don’t come in."

[MADem]

This is one strong woman, confronting bullshit head-on. It's an interesting article, too, from the perspective that we often hear that it's only USA that harbors prejudices, when the truth is that there's plenty of this to go around:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/11/19411838-black-diner-owners-i-dont-bite-sign-sparks-soul-searching-about-racism-in-uk

Kolleh, who moved to Britain 11 years ago to escape the war-torn west African republic of Liberia, admitted she was trying to make a serious point about racism in the small town in northern England.
“My frustration built up over a long amount of time,” she said. “It upsets me. I don’t want to move. I just want them to accept me for who I am and give me a try. I mean if they say the food is not good enough, fair enough, but I think that a lot of the time they are leaving because of racial prejudice.”
She tested her theory by employing a white member of staff to serve customers, while she waited out of sight.
“She did really well,” Kolleh said. “One Saturday when she was serving we made almost £100 ($150), but then the next week when I was on my own I only about £20 ($30)."

[sheshe2]

1. Damn!

The sheer stupidity of some people boggles my mind. It makes me want to cry.
Martha-Renee, please proceed!


http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/11/19411838-black-diner-owners-i-dont-bite-sign-sparks-soul-searching-about-racism-in-uk

The Independent's coverage was headlined "England 2013: Cafe owner puts up notice for customers who may not like her race" while the Daily Mail opted for "I'm black, get used to it!"


Hundreds of people offered support on the cafe's Facebook page, according to the Independent. One local customer said that she would spread the word about the “wonderful food” served there.

Thanks for posting this MADem~

[Number23]

2. My mother, a conflict resolution attorney, thought about making a similar sign once!

The wide eyes and gulps from people when they saw her for the first time simultaneously amused and annoyed the every living crap out of her.

I lost track of the number of times I applied for a job and got the same response when I walked in for the interview. It was like "huh??? How is someone with your skills and education BLACK??!"

[noiretextatique]

4. see my post below

IF there is no such thing as systemic racism, THEN why do so many people of color have the same or similar experiences? it not "just a few jerks"...it is a systemic problem.

[Number23]

9. EXACTLY!!!!!!

IF there is no such thing as systemic racism, THEN why do so many people of color have the same or similar experiences?

EXACTLY!!! Exactly, exactly!!!

I guess all 30+ million of us are suffering from the same 400 year old psychotic episode.

[MADem]

7. Infuriating! And this is the 21st Century!

I guess I was naive, but when I was imbued with the optimism and despair of the sixties, I believed that a turning point had been reached and we'd all just get the spirit and start down a new path.

I don't mean to suggest things haven't improved at ALL, but they certainly have not improved nearly enough. There's still way too much self-imposed cultural apartheid going on, to say nothing of downright racism in some quarters.

[noiretextatique]

3. i used to tell prospective employers i was black over the phone

to avoid any unpleasant surprises when i showed up for the interview.

[onpatrol98]

5. hmm...should I laugh or cry

[noiretextatique]

6. i figured: why waste my time?

because i've certainly had the unpleasant experience of showing up black and seeing the looks of shock on people's faces.

[MADem]

8. You were smart to do that, but the sad thing is that no one should HAVE to do that.

If you told some people that they really needed to warn prospective employers of things like "I have very large feet" or "I am balding" or "I have hazel eyes" they'd look at you like you were crazy. But those are just physical characteristics as well.