On July 29, 2019, my daughter and her friends were racially-profiled at TARGET in DUARTE, CA!!! They were trying on swimsuits, left the swimsuits in the fitting rooms and, AFTER they exited the store, were confronted by ALMA MARQUEZ, Executive Team Leader Assets Protection and ISAAC CAMERARA: "We need you to come back in." The girls went w/them.
Security: "Do you know why we pulled you in?"
The girls: "NO!"
Security: "You we're trying on swimsuits and we checked the fitting rooms and the swimsuits are gone...we need to check your backpacks."
The girls: "We didn't take any swimsuits." "We left them in the fitting rooms." "You can check our backpacks & you won't find anything."
Security: (after not finding anything) "Sorry for the inconvenience; you can go."
The girls then went back to the fitting rooms and ALL the swimsuits they had just tried on were still there. So, not only were they racially-profiled, they were lied to about the reason they were asked to come back in.
THANK GOD FOR THE VILLAGE!!! The girls told their Mom what happened when she picked them up a few minutes later...she turned off the car..uh-oh! Another Mother JUST LIKE ME! She made the girls come back in Target when she went in to speak to the security guards, banging on the door of the Security office, showing her badge (retired peace officer, who still carries her badge...) before anything was even discussed! Uh-oh... She informed them that she was HIGHLY offended that these three Black teens were targeted as having stolen something when they had not. She expressed how disappointed she was that they had NOT done their jobs thoroughly by NOT checking the fitting rooms and then lying to the girls.
Security's rationale: "Well, we have a lot of theft of swimsuits; they're a high-target item for theft."
Mom: "So that justifies you targeting these three Black girls because they were trying on swimsuits?"
Security: "No, no, no, we didn't target them; they left the store without buying anything."
Mom: "And you think it's okay to stop them without making sure they took something? Without checking the fitting rooms, where the swimsuits still are? Would you do the same thing if three White teens left the store without buying anything?"
Mom then proceeded to take the names and numbers of EVERYONE in the room (more later...I still have to talk to the other mom about what else happened and get the names ...she was just a BIT UPSET when I talked to her after all this happened...).
Her daughter told mine, "I've never seen my mother that angry before! My daughter was amazed how angry her friends' Mom was because she's always so sweet and kind. I told her that's what happens when you mess with someone's child. She did EXACTLY what I would have done. Mom said everyone was VERY apologetic after she spoke to them...THAT'S BECAUSE YOU GOT CALLED OUT ON YOUR BS!!!
I just made my daughter recite "I have to call my Mom because I'm underage" because I need her to be prepared if this ever happens again. We've had a talk about this kind of thing before but, in reality, the girls were scared and didn't think.
My daughter: "What if they don't let me call you?"
Me: "Just keep saying 'I have to call my Mom because I'm underage.' And, if they try to take your backpack or purse or ANYTHING of yours, kick them...and tell them, 'My mom said that if you try to take something from me, to kick you.' Because, at that point, they are trying to rob you and you have a right to defend yourself!"
She was a bit amused, but I was serious!
In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer:
I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED!!!
#racialprofilingisreal #issaboycott #icanshowyoubetterthanicantellyou #choosewisely #spendelsewhere read more
