[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050529/...d_s_salon_bias

Here is an update on the bias at Dillard's. I heard it on the news this morning. I have had my hair done at JC Penney's or was it Sears but it was by a Black stylist except one time. I left looking like I had a retarded jheri curl, LMAO

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/4/emw370227.htm

Excerpt

Former Dillard's Hair Stylists Allege Discriminatory Practices at Beauty Salons; Lawsuit Claiming "Wash & Set" Prices Higher for Black Customers Verified

Dillard's Department Store faces another class action law suit-- this time for racial discrimination in their beauty salons. Discriminatory practices alleged by former hair stylists from Dillard's in sworn affidavits.

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) April 11, 2006 -- The Dillard’s department store chain is the defendant in a federal class action lawsuit that was filed in April 2005, alleging racial discrimination and deceptive sales practices relating to the marketing and sale of beauty salon services. Dillard’s continues to deny these charges, but several former hairstylists from Dillard’s salons in Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and Georgia confirm the racist practices alleged by plaintiffs. Unbelievably, Dillard’s has responded with sworn declarations which contain racist and inflammatory statements from its own current stylists.

One of the most offensive positions taken by Dillard’s is Dillard’s contention that the hair of African-Americans is dirtier than the hair of Caucasians. In a recent court filing, a current stylist from Dillard’s Jackson, MS salon where Plaintiff Artis Smith received services stated: “ I cannot shampoo an African-American customer in the same time as I can a Caucasian customer. It may take two or three shampoo applications to get the typical African-American customer’s hair clean but it may take less for Caucasian hair.”

Other current Dillard’s stylists have submitted written declarations to the court which contain statements such as “ethnic hair is harder to handle, coarser and breaks more easily.” This statement comes from a stylist at Dillard’s Madison Square Mall location in Huntsville, Alabama, where Plaintiff Sandra Moody experienced discrimination. Another current stylist from that same salon says “ In my experience, the hair of African-American customers takes longer to do. Also, more heat is needed to get it straight. I have found that the hair is more fragile and breakage is more likely to occur.” A Dillard’s stylist from Florence, AL states “I understand [ethnic hair to mean African-American hair, usually difficult to work with and tending to be dry, coarse and frizzy.” Such sweeping stereotypes assume that all African-Americans have the same type and texture of hair.

Debbie Deavers Sturdivant experienced racial discrimination at the Dillard’s Salon in Tuscaloosa (AL) when she visited the salon for a wash & set; Vaughan Thomas experienced the same treatment in the Montgomery Dillard’s Salon and recorded her conversation with the stylists. Patrick Cooper, an attorney for the plaintiffs, urges any former or current Dillard's hair stylists who have knowledge of Dillard's discriminatory practices to contact him at 205-254-1089.

The original class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Alabama by Debbie Deavers Sturdivant, a Springville, AL resident. The civil action [CV-05-TMP-0305-W states, “Following a policy imposed by Dillard’s management, Dillard’s salons have charged significantly more for the same salon services for African American customers than for Caucasian customers. . . Dillard’s has profited from this discriminatory and illegal pricing scheme, while intentionally concealing it from the public.”