When Essie Grundy walked into the Walmart in the Riverside County, California, town of Perris, she had to get assistance to get a 49-cent comb out of a locked case. Now, she’s filing a lawsuit because she says that the comb is a product predominantly used by African-Americans. She says that Walmart is being purposely racist by putting such a product in a locked case.
From Conservative Tribune:
“I originally got the product from the Walmart in Riverside … and it was such a good product, I wanted to introduce it to my older children,” Grundy said at a news conference Friday.
“They didn’t have any more at the original Walmart that I got it from, so I went to my neighborhood one, and that’s when I noticed all of the African-American products was locked up under lock and key.”
“We have different textured hair than other people,” she added. “I just feel that we should be treated equally,” noting that blacks shouldn’t be treated differently “just because of a complexion.”
She filed a complaint with the store to have the products removed from the case, which was denied. She then filed a lawsuit. Her attorney, Gloria Allred (because of course it is), says Grundy want not only an apology but also an end to the practice of locking items up at Walmart, period.
Other groups have complained about this in the past, including Making Change at Walmart, which calls it a “discriminatory practice.”
“Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson said while the company does not discriminate, it will review Grundy’s complaint,” KCBS reported. “He noted that some products are locked or kept under tighter security, suggesting they are more at risk of theft.”
What do you think? Is Walmart being racist by locking up such a cheap item that is predominantly used by black customers, or are they just trying to save some pennies by preventing theft?
