Birds & Bees

I just experienced racism at this store. This store apparently has a no return policy. I did not know about it since this was my first time there. I am a Black person.



I was there yesterday (June 15) to buy a toy. There was a Black guy and a White guy there. I was primarily helped by the Black guy, but in the end, the White guy had to help him get the toy to work. They decided to give another toy to me since they had difficulty getting the original toy to work. (There is a camera right above the testing area). I accepted the toy, and did not ask them to test the second one. The toy did not work when I got home.



I returned today at approximately 1:00PM to return it. The young lady (a White chick) there berated me and degraded me. She told me that “my people” are fraudulent and that I was apparently trying to defraud the company. I asked her to look at the camera from yesterday to confirm that the second toy was not tested. She refused. She kept telling me about my people and berating me. I never raised my voice and she just kept on at it. I asked to speak to a manager, and she said, “No, I don’t want you calling my manager and yelling at my manager like my people do”. I told her that I now understand their store policy, but that I would like to speak to her manager about her customer service. She said, and I quote, “I will not give you my manager’s information because you will just report me”.



I understand that a store can have a policy, but that policy cannot include racism. The young girl just degraded me. She just kept on no matter how much I reduced my tone and tried to explain my side. I don’t think that she even heard anything that I said. It was almost as if she made up her mind as soon as I walked in and she acted.



I know that for her, it was just another day. For me, this is a story that I will tell over and over again, and get mad about it over and over again because it hurts. It just hurts.



I absolutely detest being treated like that. This thing follows you after you leave that environment, and it kills your self-esteem. No one should be allowed to treat anyone else in this way.