Blacks Ordered Out of New Jersey Walmart
Posted by Media Outrage on March 18th, 2010
Walmart is under fire after one of their chains in South Jersey made a horrific announcement Sunday night over the PA System.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A Walmart store announcement ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company, which has built a fragile trust among minority communities.
A male voice came over the public-address system Sunday evening at a store in Washington Township, in southern New Jersey, and calmly announced: “Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now.”
Shoppers in the store at the time said a manager quickly got on the public-address system and apologized for the remark. And while it was unclear whether a rogue patron or an employee was responsible for the comment, many customers expressed their anger to store management.
“I want to know why such statements are being made, because it flies in the face of what we teach our children about tolerance for all,” said Sheila Ellington, who was in the store at the time with a friend. “If this was meant to be a prank, there’s only one person laughing, and it’s not either one of us.”
Ellington, of Monroe, and her friend Patricia Covington said they plan to boycott the retailer until they’re assured the issue has been addressed so it doesn’t happen again.
The pair said they were stunned when they heard the announcement and initially believed they had misheard it. But once the words sank in, they grew angry.
“I depended on Walmart for all my needs, because the store has pretty much everything you could want,” Covington said. “But until this issue is addressed in a way I’m comfortable with, I can’t walk through those doors again.”
Officials with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., said that the announcement was “unacceptable” and that they’re trying to determine who made it and how it happened.
“We are just as appalled by this incident as our customers,” the company said in a statement. “Whoever did this is just wrong and acted in an inappropriate manner. Clearly, this is completely unacceptable to us and to our customers.”
This is not the first time the retailer has faced such problems.
There have been several past instances of black customers claiming they were treated unfairly at Walmart stores, and the company faced lawsuits alleging that women were passed over in favor of men for pay raises and promotions.
In February 2009, the retailer paid $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in its hiring of truck drivers.
And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company in May 2009, claiming some Hispanic employees at a Sam’s Club subsidiary in California were subjected to a hostile work environment. That suit alleges managers failed to stop repeated verbal harassment, including the use of derogatory words, against employees of Mexican descent.
However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has said the company has worked hard in recent years to show it cares about diversity.
Bill Mitchell, a former Walmart employee who was shopping Wednesday at the store, said that he was saddened to hear about the announcement but that “as a black man, I’ve heard worse things.”
As customer Sharon Osbourne, of Williamstown, left the store Wednesday, she called the announcement “appalling, stupid and sad.”
Mediaoutrage- Wonder how Walmart is going to clean this one up. Smh.
March 18th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I can not believe this in 2010 such ignorance.
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emliy Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
THIS WORLD HAS LOST CONTROL..IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE IF THE STORE MANAGER DID IT…
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I know I’m wrong for this but I thought it was funny. Its wrong yes and very ignorant, but I highly doubt all blacks in that area are going to boycott Walmart.Even if it happened at my Walmart, I still wouldn’t boycott. I mean the manage did apologize immediately. What else do they want?
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
(SOME) white people have always wanted to get rid of black folk from the day the world began, both directly and indirectly. But while they focusing on the humble, great black race, Hispanics taking over the system. They will wake up when its too late!!! Just persevere black folk, our ancestors persevered, and persecution is our destiny…. but everybody knows inside that black souls are pure as white cotton…even though their skin may be black. Let them exercise whatever hatred they want to…..it just shows their troubled souls suffering on black people’s behalf. Black folk are the happiest people in the world, they never hated nobody…their “feets” is tired BUT their souls has always been free!!!
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March 18th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Wait, how do we know it was a white person who said it? They said the person was unknown didn’t they? It could of been an Asian, Indian,Hispanic, or (wait for it) black person. We can’t blame ALL racism against blacks on the whites.
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ucanb2 Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Wal-Mart…you need to get your “ish” together…quick,fast, and in a hurry!!!
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March 18th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Well damn.
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March 18th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I would have no problem in leaving as long as they allowed me to take all Kitchen Aid products,CDs,and garden supplies with me for free.
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ucanb2 Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
OKAY…I need some cookware and a juicer! LOL
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MissTX Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Right?!! LOL
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March 18th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
I agree with guy who said he wouldn’t go to a Walmart until they dealt with this issue…I wouldv’e been like fuck walmart…that is until i needed some tires, a dvd, a hot comb, and a sandwich…now what other store you know have all those things???…nah walmart gotta come harder than that to make me stop shopping there gas is to damn high for me to go 20 stores when i can just hit up one…
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Media Outrage Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Lmao
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March 18th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
That is a shame. Nobody saw who said it? If I would’ve saw who said it I would’ve been on them like white on rice in a snow fight. Anyway, I’m still a faithful shopper at Wal-Mart though…
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March 18th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
if it was a joke it would be like a “fuck you but that was kinda funny” type of situation, but if they were serious… *yawns*
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March 18th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
This country is filled with racism so I’m not one bit surprised.
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March 18th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Wow!! WalMart ain’t go rest until they go out of business paying off all them lawsuits.
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March 19th, 2010 at 5:34 am
Do u know how easy it is to get into the wal-mart paging system? Lol I haven’t worked there in 7 years and I still can access the code if need be.
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