Shopping while black
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Shopping while black" is a phrase used for the type of marketplace discrimination that is also called "consumer
racial profiling Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the act of suspecting, targeting or discriminating against a person on the basis of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, rather than on individual suspicion or available evidence. Racial profiling involv ...
", "consumer racism" or "racial profiling in a retail setting". Shopping while black describes the experience of being denied service or given poor service because one is black.


Overview

"Shopping while black" involves a black person being followed around or closely monitored by a clerk or guard who suspects they may steal, but it can also involve being denied store access, being refused service, use of ethnic slurs, being searched, being asked for extra forms of identification, having purchases limited, being required to have a higher credit limit than other customers, being charged a higher price, or being asked more rigorous questions on applications. It could also mean a request for any item the store actually carries being denied with the store attendant claiming that the item does not exist or is not in stock. This can be the result of store policy, or individual employee prejudice. Consumer racial profiling occurs in many retail environments including grocery stores, clothing shops, department stores and office supply shops, and companies accused of consumer racial profiling have included
Eddie Bauer Eddie Bauer, LLC is an American clothing store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Eddie Bauer sells its merchandise via retail stores, outlet stores, and online and via phone, with a call center in Groveport, Ohio. Its flagship store is ...
,
Office Max OfficeMax is an American office supplies retailer founded in 1988. It is now a subsidiary of The ODP Corporation, which is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. As of December 2012, OfficeMax operated 941 stores in 47 states, Puerto Rico, the U. ...
,
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
,
Dillard's Dillard's, Inc. is an upscale American department store chain with approximately 282 stores in 29 states and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, the largest number of stores are located in Texas with 57 and Florida with 42. The ...
,
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
and
Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational corporation, multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the l ...
. Shopping while black is sometimes also called "shopping while black or brown", but researchers say black people are the most frequently targeted. Shopping while black has been extensively covered by American news media, including a
hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
special in which actors posing as store staff harassed black customers to see how other shoppers would respond, and a
Soledad O'Brien María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien (born September 19, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist and executive producer. Since 2016, O'Brien has been the host for ''Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien,'' a nationally syndicated weekly talk show ...
segment called "Shopping While Black", part of a
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
special on being black in America. It is usually assumed to occur mainly in the United States, but has also been reported in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.


Derivation

"Shopping while black" is related to
Driving while black "Driving while black" (DWB) is a sardonic description of racial profiling of African-American motor vehicle drivers. It implies that a motorist may be stopped by a police officer largely because of racial bias rather than any apparent violation ...
; both phrases refer to racial profiling and mistreatment that may occur due to the subject being black. The concept stems from a history of institutional
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
in the United States,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and other countries, as well as references to
racial profiling Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the act of suspecting, targeting or discriminating against a person on the basis of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, rather than on individual suspicion or available evidence. Racial profiling involv ...
.


Incidents

In 1995, a young black man shopping at an
Eddie Bauer Eddie Bauer, LLC is an American clothing store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Eddie Bauer sells its merchandise via retail stores, outlet stores, and online and via phone, with a call center in Groveport, Ohio. Its flagship store is ...
store in suburban
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, was accused of having stolen the shirt he was wearing, and was told he would need to leave it behind before leaving the store. He filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging "consumer racism", and was awarded $1 million in damages. In 2000, a black man named Billy J. Mitchell was awarded $450,000 in compensatory and punitive damages from
Dillard's Dillard's, Inc. is an upscale American department store chain with approximately 282 stores in 29 states and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, the largest number of stores are located in Texas with 57 and Florida with 42. The ...
, after being arrested despite having done nothing wrong. Also in 2000, a black woman unsuccessfully sued
Citibank Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...
after she was detained for no good reason while making large purchases with her Citibank Visa card. In 2002, researchers who conducted in-depth interviews with 75 black people living in black neighborhoods in New York City and Philadelphia found that 35% reported receiving consistently negative treatment when shopping in white neighborhoods, compared with 9% who said they received consistently negative treatment in their own neighborhood. In his 2003 paper "Racial Profiling by Store Clerks and Security Personnel in Retail Establishments: An Exploration of 'Shopping While Black,
criminologist Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and so ...
Shaun L. Gabbidon wrote that the majority of
false arrest False arrest, Unlawful arrest or Wrongful arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges they were held in custody without probable cause, or without an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Although it is possible to sue ...
complaints filed in a retail setting in the United States are filed by African-Americans. A 2006 analysis of federal court decisions involving marketplace discrimination in the state of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
found that both real and perceived racial discrimination existed in the Illinois marketplace. In 2014,
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
agreed to pay a $650,000 settlement over claims it had racially profiled customers. In 2014,
Barneys Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys N ...
had agreed to a $250,000 settlement over a similar claim.


Causes

Some shopkeepers may be trying to minimize costs ("cost-based statistical discrimination"). In these cases, researchers describe the cause of racial profiling as "subconscious racism", with retailers making assumptions about their black clientele based on stereotypes that say blacks are likelier than others to commit crimes and to not be credit-worthy.


Microaggressions

Many black consumers experience
microaggression Microaggression is a term used for commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized group ...
s while shopping. Case Western Assistant Professor Cassi Pittman interviewed middle and working class black consumers in New York.  Out of the 55 interviewed for her research, 80% experienced microaggressions and stereotypes while shopping and 59% had been labeled as a shoplifter. Study participants mentioned that they were followed around the store, shown the sale section of a store without being prompted, ignored, or told the price of an expensive clothing item without being prompted. In a survey of white employees, it was determined that staff often rely on stereotypical profiles of black consumers when there is minimal anti-theft training. Continued black consumer microaggressions may affect the mental and emotional health of its victims.  Microaggressions can be subtle and unrecognizable for those not affected.  Those who have experienced consumer microaggressions may experience stress and feel inhuman, distressed and disrespected as well as questions one’s own perception of the event, having to repeatedly explain the scenario and the microaggressions and facing any legal implications. Professor Cassi Pittman has reported that Black consumers have developed strategies to mitigate consumer microaggressions including only shopping at particular stores, dressing in "professional" clothing to attract or avoid attention, only shopping online and boycotting stores in which they felt discrimination.  


Responses

People who have experienced consumer racial profiling have described it as embarrassing, insulting, hurtful and frightening. Some black shoppers try to avoid racial discrimination either by avoiding white-owned businesses entirely or by deliberately dressing in a middle-class style. Because they are likelier to live and work in majority-white neighborhoods, middle-class black people experience more racial profiling than poorer black people. Responses to "shopping while black" treatment can be divided into the three categories of exit, voice and loyalty: shoppers can leave the store; complain, boycott or file a lawsuit; or accept the situation and continue shopping. Black people are likelier to launch a boycott against a shop-owner in a majority black neighborhood rather than a white one. Social psychologists
Henri Tajfel Henri Tajfel (born Hersz Mordche; 22 June 1919 – 3 May 1982) was a Polish social psychologist, best known for his pioneering work on the cognitive aspects of prejudice and social identity theory, as well as being one of the founders of the E ...
and
John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...
have described this as pragmatic and rational: a boycott is likelier to succeed in your own neighborhood, where other residents are likely to support you and where the shopkeeper's social status is similar to your own. In his 2001 book ''
Stupid White Men ''Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!'' is a book by American filmmaker Michael Moore published in 2001. Although the publishers were convinced it would be rejected by the American reading public after the Se ...
'',
filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...
and social critic
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
advised black readers to shop via online stores and catalogues only, and said if they needed to shop in-person they should do it nude, otherwise they're "just asking to be arrested". In his TV show ''Father Figure'', the actor and comedian
Roy Wood Jr. Roy Norris Wood Jr. (born December 11, 1978) is an American humorist, stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, radio personality, actor, producer, podcaster, and writer best known for his correspondent appearances on ''The Daily Show with Trevor Noah ...
explained about the habit among many black people when shopping of always, irrespective of the size of the purchase, asking for a bag and requesting that the receipt be stapled to the bag, so that security personnel can clearly see the purchase when leaving the store, and thus not suspect them of shoplifting.


Celebrity instances

In 1992, R&B singer-songwriter
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...
told '' Jet'' magazine that when he appeared at a
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
to sign autographs, "the security guards took one look at the way I was dressed and the fact that I am a young Black man and thought I was a shoplifter." In 2001,
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
told ''
Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good House ...
'' magazine about how she and a black companion were turned away from a store while white people were being allowed in, allegedly because she and her friend reminded the clerks of black transsexuals who had earlier tried to rob it. And in 2005, Winfrey was refused service at the Parisian luxury store
Hermès Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since ...
as the store closed for the evening, in what her spokesperson described as "Oprah's ''Crash'' moment", a reference to the 2004 movie about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles. In 2013, a shop assistant in Zurich allegedly refused to show Winfrey a $38,000 crocodile skin
Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
handbag, allegedly saying it "cost too much and you will not be able to afford t" In the 2007 biography ''Condoleezza Rice: An American Life'', author
Elisabeth Bumiller Elisabeth Bumiller (born May 15, 1956) is an American author and journalist who is the Washington bureau chief for ''The New York Times''. Early life and education Bumiller was born in Aalborg, Denmark, to a Danish mother, Gunhild Bumiller Rose ...
describes two "shopping while black" type incidents: one when
Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
was six and a department store clerk tried to keep her mother from using a whites-only fitting room, and another when Rice as an adult was shown cheap jewellery by a
Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...
clerk, rather than the "better earrings" she had asked for. In Canada, speaking out in 2016 in response to a recent case of racial profiling in a retail setting, former
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia The lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia () is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonwealt ...
Mayann Francis Mayann Elizabeth Francis, (born February 18, 1946) was the 31st Lieutenant Governor of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Early life and education Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and raised in Whitney Pier, she is the daughter of Archpriest ...
, the first African Nova Scotian to serve as the province's chief executive and representative of the Queen, stated that she was the target of racial profiling while shopping at least once a month.


See also

*
Driving while black "Driving while black" (DWB) is a sardonic description of racial profiling of African-American motor vehicle drivers. It implies that a motorist may be stopped by a police officer largely because of racial bias rather than any apparent violation ...
*
Running while black Running while Black is a sardonic description of racial profiling experienced by Black runners in the United States and Canada. In the United States, jogging gained popularity after World War II, and has largely been portrayed by American media a ...


References

{{Black Lives Matter Anti-black racism in the United States Consumer behaviour English phrases Snowclones Stereotypes of African Americans