I am Disappointed. Hatred, Blatant Racism, and Unconscious Bias that equate to racism are all…read morewrong.
My husband and I just picked up our dinner from a local restaurant near this store. As we walked up the stairs, we exchanged greetings with another shopper (a white female). When we reached the top of the stairs, we turned left towards the bar/liquor store. A white woman who worked there was sitting at the bar reading a newspaper. She looked up over her glasses and, in a very abrupt and accusatory tone, said, "CAN I HELP YOU?" My husband instantly turned around and walked away in disappointment. I responded, "Hello, we're just looking," and followed him.
While in the adjacent wine section, I told my husband, "She was kind of rude." He replied, "That's exactly why I walked away. We'll get some wine and pay downstairs."
Now, stay with me for a moment. The area was well-lit, and there was a glass divider separating the two rooms. While I was considering my options for a red blend near the back wall my husband looked at the white wines. In a more welcoming tone, the same woman who had been sitting at the bar addressed another shopper (a white male) in a very welcoming and charismatic voice, saying, "Hi, how are you? What can I help you with?" as she walked over to him with a smile.
I instantly recognized the difference in her demeanor. Even my husband noted, "She didn't talk to us like that." We then proceeded downstairs to the customer service desk. My husband felt I shouldn't share my concerns because this behavior happens daily, and he believed nothing would change. However, I decided to speak with the manager, Sabrina, who kindly listened to my experience. Sabrina responded by saying "Well, I've never had anyone else complain about her as an associate and repeated it to me twice before saying, but I'll look at it."
That was not the response I was hoping for; an apology would have been welcomed. However, I honestly do not know what I expected. I do not want the associate to lose her job or anything crazy, but her attitude toward us was crazy and offensive. Should she be educated? Yes, absolutely. Had the roles been reversed, I would have likely been fired, handcuffed by an all-white group of Bexley Police officers, and charged with assault and misconduct of some magnitude. Or I could have reacted in the same way as the associate, inappropriate, disrespectful, and racist, and I still would have been arrested in the same manner mentioned above. I'm so sick and tired of the racism and hostility. My husband and I are educated, working-class humans who respect others and deserve to be treated equally, just like every other customer, no matter what we look like or how we identify. We may be only two of many shoppers, but I will not be returning to the store at all.
I am disappointed. Hatred, blatant racism, and unconscious bias that equates to racism are all wrong.
