GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > GLO Specific Forums > Delta > Delta Sigma Theta
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

» GC Stats
Members: 329,731
Threads: 115,666
Posts: 2,205,024
Welcome to our newest member, guldop
» Online Users: 1,645
1 members and 1,644 guests
ComradesTrue
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-07-2005, 02:19 PM
NinjaPoodle NinjaPoodle is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: On the beach. Well....not really but near it. :0)
Posts: 13,569
Thumbs down Racial profiling feared at Wal-Mart

Racial profiling feared at Wal-Mart
Store managers delay a black customer for two hours. It took police 19 minutes to figure out he did nothing wrong.
By MARK ALBRIGHT, Times Staff Writer
Published December 2, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAMPA - GAF Materials Corp. is handing out gift cards from Target as a reward to select employees this holiday season. That's because Wal-Mart, the discount store that held the business for years, last week called sheriff's deputies to apprehend a GAF manager on a bogus bad check rap while he was trying to buy this year's gift card supply.

"I keep going over and over the incident in my mind," said Reginald Pitts, the 34-year-old human resources manager for the roof material manufacturer's Tampa distribution center. "I cannot come up with any possible reason why I was treated like this except that I am black."

Wal-Mart has launched its own internal investigation of the incident, which store officials concede upfront "was handled very poorly."

"We've apologized to Mr. Pitts and are trying to find out exactly what happened so it does not happen again," said Sharon Weber, spokeswoman for the chain, based in Bentonville, Ark. "We do not tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling at Wal-Mart."

GAF has been spending about $50,000 a year on gift cards at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 11110 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon. For years GAF sent a white, female administrator to buy them without incident. This time, when she was on vacation the day before Thanksgiving, Pitts did the job himself. He phoned in the order for 520 cards, got the accounting department to issue Wal-Mart a $13,600 check and then encountered a royal hassle trying to exchange it for gift cards at the store.

"For a while there I thought I was going to prison," he said. "It was a totally humiliating experience."

For about two hours, store managers stalled on accepting the check for the already-printed gift cards, while Pitts stood waiting by the customer service desk. He had handed over his GAF business card, his driver's license and the toll-free numbers to GAF's bank. His accounting supervisor assured them over the phone that GAF, the nation's biggest roofing systems maker with revenues of $1.6-billion in 2004, was good for the check.

Two African-American Wal-Mart clerks watching all this from nearby told Pitts that several similarly sized transactions were made for other companies that day without delay, Pitts said. They suggested to Pitts that he was subjected to all the extra scrutiny by their bosses because he is black.

The thought made him physically ill.

Dressed in khaki pants and a blue button-down-collar dress shirt, Pitts finally got upset over the lengthy wait. He asked for the check back so he could go to another store. But store managers, who had kept huddled in a nearby office during most of his two-hour ordeal, refused to return it. The only explanation he got was that the store was having trouble "verifying" the check or who Pitts was.

Later, two Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies appeared. One grabbed Pitts by the arm. He objected to the rough handling and asked if he was being arrested.

"We need to talk with you about this forged check that you brought in here," Pitts recalled deputy Bryan Wells saying. Later Wells explained the reason for the firm arm grab: "Well, Wal-Mart called us and reported to us that you committed a felony, and that's the way we approach felons," Pitts recalled.

Read the rest here...
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Ta...ing_fear.shtml
__________________
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. ** Greater Service, Greater Progress
Since 1922
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-07-2005, 02:27 PM
CrimsonTide4 CrimsonTide4 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 22,590
Thumbs down

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Dammit. Just dammit. This was posted on a listserve yesterday but I never got around to reading it.

Wal Mart, you about to make me stop shopping there.
__________________
I am a woman, I make mistakes. I make them often. God has given me a talent and that's it. ~ Jill Scott
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-07-2005, 02:29 PM
mulattogyrl mulattogyrl is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The Matrix
Posts: 4,424
Send a message via AIM to mulattogyrl Send a message via Yahoo to mulattogyrl
With this and the other stuff I've heard about Wal-Mart, I'm reconsidering too.
__________________
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

It's a jungle out there.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-07-2005, 02:30 PM
NinjaPoodle NinjaPoodle is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: On the beach. Well....not really but near it. :0)
Posts: 13,569
I probably got it from the same one

Quote:
Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Dammit. Just dammit. This was posted on a listserve yesterday but I never got around to reading it.

Wal Mart, you about to make me stop shopping there.
__________________
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. ** Greater Service, Greater Progress
Since 1922
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-07-2005, 02:32 PM
CrimsonTide4 CrimsonTide4 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 22,590
Quote:
Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
I probably got it from the same one
LMAO You on the Delta listserve, LMAO

just joshing, lmao

The Soror probably got it from a listserve you are both on.
__________________
I am a woman, I make mistakes. I make them often. God has given me a talent and that's it. ~ Jill Scott
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-07-2005, 03:03 PM
Eclipse Eclipse is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,929
It appears that GAF is handling this well, instead of sweeping it under the rug. At my last employer we had problems almost every year with our bank when bonus checks were given out. Almost to a person, every black person that came in with a check and wanted to outright cash it ($2,000 would have been on the low end of the scale and for a director, it would have easily been 5 figures) was given a hard time. One black female director who wanted to open a Money Market account and get some cash from her check was given such a hassle for such a long time (i.e. your signature does not match the signature on your driver's licence, why is your check so much bigger than everyone's elses? The signature of the VP of HR--who signed the checks by hand--does not match, etc.) that she understandably left.

My company raised a stink for a minute, but the end result was nothing. It would have been very easy to move that business, but they chose to take the punk way out.

I will be interesting to see how Wal-Mart handles it. I know they will put it all back on the individual employees in the stores, but I wonder if it is the culture. Interesting thing though, at least as of a few years ago the Exuctive/Sr. VP of HR at Sam's Club was a black man.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-07-2005, 03:22 PM
MeezDiscreet MeezDiscreet is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Great State of Texas--Get it Biii
Posts: 2,814
this reminds me of a situation my cousin had at wal-mart. she just had a baby and she wanted to exchange a bottle of milk she bought for another kind. now, she's a professional woman but she was having an off-day. the manager took one look at her and said "we don't do returns on WIC items."

after my cousin told her that she was not on WIC, she said "well how do i know that you didn't bring this over from New Orleans?"
__________________
DSQ

I Stay Woke!!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-07-2005, 03:25 PM
Proverbs31 Proverbs31 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 997
Quote:
Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
this reminds me of a situation my cousin had at wal-mart. she just had a baby and she wanted to exchange a bottle of milk she bought for another kind. now, she's a professional woman but she was having an off-day. the manager took one look at her and said "we don't do returns on WIC items."

after my cousin told her that she was not on WIC, she said "well how do i know that you didn't bring this over from New Orleans?"
Please tell me that this did not really happen
__________________
"When I wake up, everything I went through will be beautiful." Jill Scott
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-07-2005, 03:25 PM
CrimsonTide4 CrimsonTide4 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 22,590
Quote:
Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
this reminds me of a situation my cousin had at wal-mart. she just had a baby and she wanted to exchange a bottle of milk she bought for another kind. now, she's a professional woman but she was having an off-day. the manager took one look at her and said "we don't do returns on WIC items."

after my cousin told her that she was not on WIC, she said "well how do i know that you didn't bring this over from New Orleans?"
S____!!!
S_________!!!!!!

S________________!!!!

__________________
I am a woman, I make mistakes. I make them often. God has given me a talent and that's it. ~ Jill Scott
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-07-2005, 04:16 PM
rho4life rho4life is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 938
I don't do Walmart, unless ABSOLUTELY needed. This just gives me one more reason to avoid them. I saw an in-depth investigation on MSNBC and it was weird. They have a bizarre corporate culture, instead of WWJD it's what would Sam do. And they have predatory biz practices.
__________________
If there is no wind, Rho
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-07-2005, 04:53 PM
mulattogyrl mulattogyrl is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The Matrix
Posts: 4,424
Send a message via AIM to mulattogyrl Send a message via Yahoo to mulattogyrl
Quote:
Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
this reminds me of a situation my cousin had at wal-mart. she just had a baby and she wanted to exchange a bottle of milk she bought for another kind. now, she's a professional woman but she was having an off-day. the manager took one look at her and said "we don't do returns on WIC items."

after my cousin told her that she was not on WIC, she said "well how do i know that you didn't bring this over from New Orleans?"
You've GOT to be kidding me.
__________________
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

It's a jungle out there.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-07-2005, 06:50 PM
Jill1228 Jill1228 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: NJ/Philly suburbs
Posts: 7,172
Send a message via AIM to Jill1228
Oh hayle no!
I work in a store that is UFCW (United Food Commericial Workers Union) so I avoid Wal Mart unless it is necessary. And these stories are definitely more reasons to avoid them

Quote:
Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
this reminds me of a situation my cousin had at wal-mart. she just had a baby and she wanted to exchange a bottle of milk she bought for another kind. now, she's a professional woman but she was having an off-day. the manager took one look at her and said "we don't do returns on WIC items."

after my cousin told her that she was not on WIC, she said "well how do i know that you didn't bring this over from New Orleans?"
__________________
"OP, you have 99 problems, but a sorority ain't one"-Alumiyum
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-07-2005, 07:24 PM
NinjaPoodle NinjaPoodle is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: On the beach. Well....not really but near it. :0)
Posts: 13,569
Quote:
Originally posted by rho4life
I don't do Walmart, unless ABSOLUTELY needed. This just gives me one more reason to avoid them. I saw an in-depth investigation on MSNBC and it was weird. They have a bizarre corporate culture, instead of WWJD it's what would Sam do. And they have predatory biz practices.
I saw that too. I agree that they have a bizarre corp. culture and I STILL would not shop there.
__________________
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. ** Greater Service, Greater Progress
Since 1922
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-07-2005, 09:37 PM
rho4life rho4life is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 938
I'm talking about REAL NEED. I've been in 2 walmarts in my life. Once on a roadtrip, when we hadn't seen another similar store for about 2 hours, and it was our last potential stop before our destination. The other was b/c we need to get last minute flowers for a funeral in southern Oregon. Taco bell wasn't selling flowers, so we had to go to wall mart
__________________
If there is no wind, Rho
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-07-2005, 11:00 PM
33girl 33girl is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Hotel Oceanview
Posts: 34,519
reason #80 ookabillion why Walmart is EVIL.
__________________
It is all 33girl's fault. ~DrPhil
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:05 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.