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An announcement telling black shoppers to leave the building at a New Jersey Wal-Mart has store officials reviewing store security tapes and black patrons fuming.
A male voice said, "Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now," over the the public address system Sunday evening at the Washington Township Wal-Mart in southern New Jersey.
Customers expressed surprise at the announcement, which is also being investigated by the local police and prosecutor's office. The store management apologized to shoppers.
A company spokesperson called the incident unacceptable and said the store is looking at how to prevent a repeat event.
Two local black women women who were shopping at the store during the announcement have said they will boycott Wal-Mart.
I can understand being upset with the message, but until someone can show that the store management was a party in making the announcement, a boycott is out of line.
If it was a store employee trying to be funny, they should see how funny things are from the unemployment line. And they should face whatever civil sanctions that may apply. The same goes for any non-employee who might have grabbed an unguarded microphone for the announcement.
If the announcement is part of a pattern, the store may bear some blame, but if it is a one-time incident there, and the store takes steps to make sure it doesn't happen again, Wal-mart should be held blameless.
Every Wal-Mart store I've ever visited had plenty of black patrons. The store operators didn't get to the top of the retail chain in America by encouraging silly announcements that could lead to anything like a boycott that would hurt the bottom line.
Comments: (20)
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By: rex on 3/17/2010 8:09PM
black people are the only race when white people
dis you , all we do is boycott you begging the white man to take you money. as Dr. King said
the only thing you have contol over is where you
spend your money.
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By: JLWSAW on 3/18/2010 9:50AM
Trash will be trash. You can take the person out of the trash, but you can't take the "TRASH" out of the person.
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By: Jessica on 3/18/2010 8:00AM
thank goodness I don't spend my hard earned money there!!!!!!!
What racist fools we have in this world
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By: blackbear72 on 3/18/2010 9:22AM
Why are the police investigation this? How could this possibly be a crime? What civil sanction could possibly apply to this? Unauthorized use of microphone? Misuse of the word black? Come on are there any competent writes on BV? You want someone arrested for making a stupid comment on a Wal-mart public address? But at the same time you want no jail time for drug possession? What is wrong with the people on this site?
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By: diamond on 3/18/2010 10:08AM
well i shop @ walmart and so far have not had no problem on my end but we always as b lack people going to go through racial problems theres nothing that can be done about that we live in a world of ignorance personally i dont let the racial thing bother me at least i try not to let it but we have to continue to live and be strong i hope whoever made that comment over the loud speaker get what they have coming to them
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By: Michael on 3/18/2010 12:53PM
Wal Mart sends spies to spy on their competition. They are trying to put all of their competitors out of business. As a small business owner, I know they send spies to other people stores. Now they are selling some of the products I am selling, lower than I can purchase the products for. One of their region managers personally told me that that they go over to other stores and check their products and prices. I have watched documentary on Wal Mart, where they have put their suppliers out of business by making them lowering their price. The supplier sold them the price so low that the company lost so much money, it had to shut it doors. Wal Mart has illegal immigrants working in their store in my state. Also Wal Mart does not have the lowest price on products. Dollar General and Family Dollar have the lowest prices on the same products.
I feel that the person was an employee there at Wal Mart. Most likely someone in management who thought this was funny. This store was started by Sam Walton a southerner from Arkansas. They play country and western music in their stores. They have a long history of discriminating against African American and women. Until African Americans start our own businesses and employ our own people we will continue to encounter events as this. The person who spoke that on the speaker has not committed any crime. It just shows how some Caucasian people feel about African Americans. I have said this many times, Jesus Christ is the only one that can change a person heart. You can continue to patronize Wal Mart or you can shop somewhere else.
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By: No1'sname on 3/18/2010 11:17AM
I think it was only a prank b/c I've seen on You Tube where young white guys were playing a prank in stores where they pick up one of the intercom phones & when they speak into the phone whatever is being said can be heard thru out the store!
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By: U. D. on 3/18/2010 1:23PM
The NAACP cannont get involved or cannot speak on the issue because they receive corporate donations from Walmart.
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By: tprice2020 on 3/18/2010 8:38PM
I hear what your saying U.D., but I have to disagree. On the news there was a sister, member of the NAACP her title under her name, giving her opinion outside of the Walmart.
My thought was, is it that serious. I don't believe it was racial. If it had been the "N" Word in the place of black, I would feel differently.
I look at it like this, if something was about to go down, atleast we were forewarned and given a chance to remove ourself.
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By: U.D. on 3/19/2010 2:42AM
TPrice 2020
The devil's in the details...
Why Black Leaders are silent on Walmart
http://www.blackcommentator.com/83/83_wal_mart.html
_____________________________
"The nation's oldest civil rights watchdog might hesitate to bite the hand that feeds it..."
"Asked to give examples of where the organization sued corporate benefactors, the tough-talking Hayes, the NAACP's chief legal officer since 1990, shut his eyes and searched his memory. He thought of one."
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