Rob Brown Star of HBO's Treme, handcuffed and detained at Macy's for using his own credit card

[cali]

A black actor on the HBO drama series “Treme” said in a lawsuit on Friday that he wasstopped because of his race while buying sunglasses at Macy’s — the third discrimination allegation made this week by a black shopper against a department store.

Robert Brown, who filed the lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, said he was detained by police at the flagship Herald Square store on June 8 after employees contacted authorities about possible credit card fraud.

He said he was “paraded while handcuffed” through the store to a holding cell, where he was kept for nearly an hour while officers grilled him and searched his bag. His lawsuit said Macy’s employees suggested he couldn’t afford to make such an expensive purchase. He eventually was released without charges.

The department store was profiling Brown because of his race, said his lawsuit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/10/25/tv-actor-robert-brown-accuses-macys-of-racial-profiling/#ixzz2ir5z3Nnl

[itsrobert]

1. I never shop at Macy's

Last edited Sun Oct 27, 2013, 12:12 PM - Edit history (1)

Overpriced garbage.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. i think racism is hysterically funny too.

[marmar]

53. Racial profiling is just Hi-larious.....

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

67. Really? That's your response? Fail.

[derby378]

2. Seeing that Macy's was founded by a Quaker...

...this will keep poor Rowland H. Macy spinning in his grave for a looooong time.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

17. Very few people know that. Very few people are even aware of Quaker principles.

[JI7]

70. seems like the original founders of many companies would be disgusted

with what their company has become.

[etherealtruth]

86. I did not know that. Interesting tid bit n/t

[roody]

3. Were they unable to ask him

for his ID?

[gollygee]

5. It says in the article linked in the OP

In the lawsuit against Macy’s, Brown, who also acted in “Don Jon” and “Finding Forrester,” said he tried to show police officers his identification to prove his credit/debit card wasn’t a fake but was told it was phony. He said he also produced the ID when buying the sunglasses.

[Heather MC]

74. I hope he owns Macy's by the time he is done suing them

[SoapBox]

6. Wow...I hope, if we are seeing fact in the article, that he kicks Macy's ass

...for millions.

This shit needs to stop.

[Rebellious Republican]

7. Guess he should not have been shopping in FLORIDA, or south of the Mason/Dixon Line......

We know how racists those damn southerners can be, oops, never mind.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

8. Uh,

yeah!!?? It's always those southerners......................never happen up north!

[Rebellious Republican]

41. Well JimboBillyBubbaBob dontcha know it!

[demwing]

11. The only person to bring up the south

was you

[Chakab]

33. That post was in response to the constant Southern bashing on DU.

I grew up in the South and have my issues with the region, but the constant insinuations on this forum that racism only exists below the Mason-Dixon line are ridiculous. There's plenty of racism in NYC, and I'd say that upstate New York is just as bigoted as a lot of rural areas in the South that people here loved to trash.

[Rebellious Republican]

38. Bingo, thank you! Hate begets hate, no matter what form!

Just another example today of the blind siders put on people.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1014&pid=632286

Wise words of wisdom from wise men.....

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.
Malcolm X

You must recognize that the way to get the good out of your brother and your sister is not to return evil for evil.
Louis Farrakhan
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/louis_farrakhan.html#1FJSoeqtVevLk4Yq.99

[demwing]

45. I challange you to show "constant insinuations on this forum...

...that racism only exists below the Mason-Dixon"

What I have head is that it is often more typical of the south, which it is.

[Chakab]

46. "it is often more typical of the south"

Disagree. It's ubiquitous in the US. It just manifests itself differently in different parts of the country.

[demwing]

52. Thats fair

Perhaps the southern states just feel more comfortable with racism, and elsewhere racists re more closeted?

[Rebellious Republican]

49. Pulleeeese, challenge away, just do a search your self.

It has been very prevalent here, less than usual, I think because of people like me who have challenged those that have. If your looking for a flame war you are not going to get it from me. I have already been put on notice by DU admin, because of some sensitive folks around here!

I will leave you with this thought on how some of us southerners think, Peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8MPheLCbPpM

[demwing]

62. I live in the South (FL)

and I did military time in South Carolina and Georgia. I know the way people from other states stereotype southerners as racist, uneducated rednecks.

I know that racism exists in all states, but the only folks I have ever seen flying the Confederate Flag above their state capitol were Southerners.

Further, as reported in Mother Jones (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/south-more-racist-north), data from the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey was analyzed by a pair of Professors from UC Davis and University of Connecticut. The analysis showed that:

"of the seven states in the country with the highest percentage of people who are biased against black people, six are Southern states—Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina."

Thanks for the beer high 5, and back at ya !

[Rebellious Republican]

64. I did note that Florida was not named amoung them, some other stastics..

"of the seven states in the country with the highest percentage of people who are biased against black people, six are Southern states—Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina." However we can look a little deeper. It is an interactive map once you click on the link, hate is hate, some wish not to explore their own backyard.

http://users.humboldt.edu/mstephens/hate/hate_map.html#

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

69. That map is based on tweets only. So, it's going to exclude a lot of racists.

According to this source, the percentage of internet users who use Twitter is very low. For Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics, respectively, it's 12%, 28%, and 14%.


And, of course, internet users are only a percentage, albeit probably a pretty high one, of all Americans.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

50. Listen to the song "Rednecks"

By Randy Newman. Racism is the same everywhere. It"s just more overt in the south....

[Rebellious Republican]

56. Thank you.....

[demwing]

63. I say "more typical of the south" and you say "more overt in the south"

aren't we saying damned near the same thing?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

66. I would say we are not saying the same thing.

Typical, to me, means expected behavior. Overt, to me, means more visible. Though I would agree I am probably splitting a hair..........

[heaven05]

42. but, but, but

he brought up truth. Obama brought them out of the woodwork, north, south, east and fucking west? I wonder what other lies will be revealed about our exceptional society while our man of color POTUS is in office. The confederacy has risen again, the new klan the tea party has been revealed for what it is. So let's stop being offended at the truth and try to change this country for the better.

[DontTreadOnMe]

51. But DUers from the North don't get "upset" when racism is pointed out in the "North"

It is the Southern DUers who get "defensive" when it gets pointed out happening south of the Mason Dixon... and it is ten times as many times as it happens in the North.

I live in America. I have lived in Boston, New York, Herndon, VA, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
I have also traveled extensively for business to almost every state.. except Alaska.

I don't get "defensive" about ANY specific region in the United States where I happened to live at one time.

I have found Florida, especially the northern section, to be one of the most racist parts of America.

[whopis01]

73. That's a bit of a mis-characterization

in my opinion.

From what I have seen, the vast majority of complaints have not been about racism being "pointed out happening south of the Mason Dixon". It has been about blanket statements saying (or insinuating) that southerners are racist.

I just wish that all people would take a moment longer to think about the implications of their statements before making them. There are plenty of people who live in the south who fight against racism and discrimination there. When someone says "southerners are racist" and a bunch of others jump on and agree, it is hurtful to those who aren't and those who are trying to do something about the racism that does exist there.

When I see a statement like "there is a lot of racism in the south" or "racism is a problem in the south" I would agree with it. But when I see "southerners are racist" I recognize that as the bigoted, prejudice statement that it is.

[Pab Sungenis]

31. Remember that NYC's Mayor

wanted to make it an "open city" during the Civil War.

There is a long stain of racism throughout the capitalist upper class.

[matt819]

35. Was there a reference to southern racism anywhere in the post or the comments to this point? (nt)

[Rebellious Republican]

40. Nope, just knew this post was headed south,as in no traction, it did not occur in the

south. No bashing here to be done! Thats all. Glad all ya'll got my point.

[struggle4progress]

54. Has continental drift picked up recently? Last I looked, 151 W 34th St NY wasn't a Florida address

[Rebellious Republican]

55. never acuse us southerners of higher edumacation!

[struggle4progress]

57. I resemble that remark!

[Rebellious Republican]

58. ...

[edhopper]

75. Yes

there is a lot of bigotry and racism here in the North. Plenty of bigots in NY and Boston and Philly.
The difference is that for the most part we don't elect them into office, and when that happens, they are a tiny minority.
We don't fill our legislature with them and change our laws to codify the bigotry.

[thesquanderer]

80. Right. All the new voting restriction laws are in southern states.

The north may have plenty of racists, but they don't win elections. Or if they do, they keep their racist thoughts to themselves. They don't legislate to disenfranchise black voters. Racists may be everywhere, but the northern states don't institutionalize it.

[madville]

83. Racism is everywhere

When I went in the military I was shocked how many North Easterners and people from out West were openly racist.

I myself have a southern accent and I guess they assumed I thought like they did until I informed them that I did not. I specifically remember a guy from Boston and one from Montana that were the biggest racists I have ever run across.

[Rebellious Republican]

87. I am in the same boat, no pun intended.

Because of my skin color, accent, where I live and my job many racists assume I am one as well.

[Rex]

9. What the hell is going on?

People just losing their minds in retail?

[Ikonoklast]

14. I guess they hate taking money off of customers.

Can't see that as a good long-term viable business model, though. I can spot certain weaknesses in their strategy.

[Rex]

16. Same here! "Hi, I hate ________ and call the cops on them when they buy clothes!"

Come shop here for a WONDERFUL experience! Stay for the Miranda warnings!

[awoke_in_2003]

28. a lot of white folks in general...

have been losing their minds since a black man took up residence in the White House. The hate had been just under the surface for a long time- Obama's election just set it to boiling. Personally, I hope our next president is a gay hispanic atheist- that will make some heads explode

[bluemarkers]

47. a woman would be OK too (I like the way you think)

baby steps ... don't to have too big of a mess to cleanup!


then a gha

[Incitatus]

84. Driving while black wasn't enough. So now they are harassing people for shopping while black. nt

[Rex]

85. It does seem that way!

nt.

[tblue]

88. Amazon must be ecstatic.

Why go into a store where you'll be treated like a second class citizen when you can shop online?

Sad situation. Hurtful, ugly, and dumb on the part of Macy's and Barney's.

[AngryOldDem]

91. That's why I cry no tears for retail.

They have no clue as to how badly they shoot themselves in the feet with attitudes like this.

[AngryOldDem]

90. I think it's broader than race.

Although in this case race definitely was the motivating factor, classism and elitism are at work here as well, I think.

A few years ago while visiting Chicago and walking the Mag Mile, I decided out of pure curiosity to go into the Michael Kors store. I was dressed casually, but it was pretty clear that I wasn't made of money (not that I'd drop any of it on Kors's shit, even if I was loaded). Almost immediately it was made clear by the demeanor of the clerk (oops, is that "sales associate" in these fancy places?) that I was not welcome. I got a lot of hostile stares and no offers of help. I definitely felt uncomfortable and left almost as soon as I came in.

Nice way to turn me off the brand, and point out my "station" in life.

In this case, if he produced every kind of ID known to man, and if that wasn't good enough, and a phone call could not have been placed to the credit card company, then I think the next stop should be to a good civil rights lawyer. And I don't buy Barney's apology for a minute. They obviously made a huge and unfair assumption about a customer and that is inexcusable.

[Jefferson23]

10. How frequent is this scenario in NYC? Is it due to the victim speaking out more often

now, where as many people before just let it go? I wonder if this is blow back from stop & frisk, it
seems retail is losing their minds..they see a diverse population for years and years. The blatant
racism is amazing...sue their ass off, the idiots.

[jtuck004]

12. Not just sue, but it should be worth a couple of episodes on popular shows,

get some more sunlight on it. The right kind of light just makes racists wither.

[Crunchy Frog]

13. K&R for exposure.

Looks like another store I'll have to avoid. Pity, cause I've gotten some nice things for my boys there.

[SamYeager]

15. Shopping while black is the new hot crime for cops and department stores to enforce.

It never ends.

[msanthrope]

18. I hope he wins big. nt

[sendero]

19. Who blew the dog whistle..

... that cued all of the racists to think it was ok to come out of their holes?

Get back in assholes, we're not having it.

[durablend]

21. Well, the president started it (obviously)

But if that didn't cement it, that guy in Florida who shot the kid with the Skittles did.

[malaise]

20. Living while black

How dare a black man to be rich?
Shocked I tell you - NOT

[berni_mccoy]

22. This Should Prove As An Example On How Voter ID is Racist

If a black man can go into Macy's and show his ID to both the Store and the Police and be told it's fake, what hope do African Americans have in a system that requires them to produce ID at the voting booth. They'll just be treated the same way there.

I will show this article to anyone who questions the racism behind Voter ID laws in the future. Thanks for posting.

[progressoid]

43. Exactly. n/t

[durablend]

23. According to those decent folk on the right

Mr. Brown (along with that woman with the purse and the guy with the belt) were just spending their ill-gotten welfare payments from the taxes that the good hard working Murikans handed over (illegally, of course) to the gubermint.

[SaveAmerica]

24. Is my idea of NYC as being inhabited by folks of many different races off?

I also imagine that there are people of different races at all economic levels there, too. Am I wrong? I guess I'm thinking that unless they asked him to see his pay stub I have no idea how, in their small minds, every single black person in New York can't afford their products.

[Curmudgeoness]

25. This reminds me of a conversation with a black male friend

at least 20 years ago. This man was not wealthy, but he did ok. He had a decent job, he was older and single so didn't have to worry about the family finances. He would never have broken the law.

He told me that at least 3/4 of the stores in our area were racist. He related stories of constantly being followed every time he entered many stores, since obviously he was there to shoplift instead of buy. I heard about hostile clerks. He also said that he always paid in cash because he had so many problems with writing checks or using a credit card. Store clerks never asked him if HE wanted a credit card application. The list went on and on.

The bright side of his story was that he did a lot of shopping, and it was at the stores where he did not get treated differently. These stores benefitted from the competition's racism. And the same stores benefitted from the story he told me. I still remember the tales of treatment by some stores, and I still avoid those stores. And I remember the good stores where he was welcomed, and I also spend my money at those places.

[heaven05]

44. that's always and everywhere.

I watched the uc's in retail stores following black people they profiled. I followed them hoping they would do something wrong so I could witness against them. Still do it to this day. Just biting at the bit on that one.

[liberalhistorian]

59. It's not just blacks who are continually subjected

to such indignities and idiocy. Here in South Dakota, where we have nine Indian reservations, and in other similar western states, the anti-native American racism is so blatant and overt that you can almost see the mental segregation signs that whites put up. When you tell people about blatant acts of racism you've witnessed, their reaction is often along the lines of so what, who cares, "those people" often do this and this and that and cause such and such problems so we need to be careful, etc. It's so ingrained that people who grew up here often just do not fucking get it. Anything at all that may benefit Indians is immediately pounced on, with cries of special treatment and "whiners" and worse name-calling. But it's okay for whites to enjoy the same damned things.

My husband and I are white, but he's an attorney who's worked in tribal law for many years so we live on various reservations. The attitudes we often get from others about living on reservations is incredible, like something out of the damn fifties. His ex-wife was Indian and he tells about how they were followed around and hovered over while shopping in a certain western South Dakota city close to Mt. Rushmore (the most racist in the entire state, believe me, and that's saying a lot), along with other incidents. The only time he was ever asked for ID when shopping was at a small business where he'd shopped for many years with no problems, but he had his Indian wife with him this time. That was a real eye-opener. But it's everywhere here against Indians.

[Curmudgeoness]

61. I am certainly not surprised.

For some reason, whites have this superiority complex that is totally unearned. Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, Arabs, etc. are all seen as dangerous and unscrupulous. I have a feeling that this is a mirror of the minds of these racist whites....they probably think that if they were not white, they would be bitter criminals. They just don't get it that there are mostly good people who are minorities.

[liberalhistorian]

89. What's really fascinating to me is

that there isn't nearly as much racism against blacks in this state as there is against Indians. I don't know if that's because there really aren't that many blacks here at all or because racism against Indians is ingrained in the culture and citizens are socialized and steeped in it from the very beginning, or a combination of both. What's quite disturbing is that racism against blacks is quite common within many of the native American communities on the reservations. And I think that that's deliberately stirred up and kept going by the white power structure in the state in order to keep native americans from turning too much against them.

[tblue37]

26. In addition to this case and that of the young man

at Barney's, a 21-year-old Black nursing student named Kayla Phillips got roughed up by 4 undercover cops after she used an ATM card to buy a $2500-dollar handbag from Barney's. She was using her tax return on a designer bag she'd been wanting for a while.

Now, I wish *no one* would purchase these overpriced purses and belts, but I am enraged at the idea that just because someone is Black, they deserve to be suspected of fraud and roughed up, humiliated, handcuffed, and arrested for purchasing something some white racist thinks they surely could never afford.

Young people, regardless of race, are suckered into thinking that they need--or at least that they should desperately *want*--overpriced designer goods of the sort paraded by their pop culture idols. They spend ridiculous amounts of money on stuff like that instead of saving or investing it or at least spending it on something more useful. I wish they wouldn't, but when they do, the stores should be grateful for their business, no matter what their race happens to be.

BTW, Jay-Z has a deal with Barney's for a line of designer goods. I wonder whether a lot of his fans will even be permitted to buy his branded crap.

When Oprah told her story about the store in Switzerland, a lot of people pooh-poohed her claims of racism, but I think such things happen way more often than many people want to acknowledge.

BTW, the Barney's cashier didn't actually call the cops. They were already positioned undercover in the store, because, Barney's says, there had been several fraud cases. My guess is that Barney's wanted to preserve some modicum of deniability, and this arrangement allows them to claim THEY didn't do it--a bunch of overzealous undercover cops were at fault. Yeah . . . That's the ticket.

[Demit]

27. Uh, the purse was $2500.

[tblue37]

30. Yes, of course! I had 2 thousand in my head at the same time as 2500. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

29. He should join in with the others...

who have been targeted this week and start suing the shit out of the offenders. K&R

[libdem4life]

32. Have to keep those private prisons full.

[valerief]

79. Bingo! Must have prison labor for corporations who pay peanuts for them.

Besides, the oligarchy wouldn't want the truth to come out that black people are people, too. That would interfere with their Divide and Conquer strategy.

[libdem4life]

82. Yep...Overpopulation...all those newly minted "people" we call corporations.

[indepat]

34. It must be so hard for so many people to come to grips with the fact that skedaddles of black folks

make oodles of money in numerous industries, including, but not limited to, professional sports, movies, TV, and the media. It's a rotten shame some cannot spend some of their hard-earned money without being harassed.

[Rex]

36. It is an injustice to their liberties!

Puke worthy.

[indepat]

37. Exactly, and the price for doing so should be painfully high

[surrealAmerican]

39. Even though we can probably expect poorly trained sales clerks to ...

... occasionally engage in racist profiling, why is it that we can't expect police officers to have adequate training not to.

What the salespeople in these stories did reflects poorly on them and their employers; what the police did reflects poorly on us as a society. We can do better than this.

[dembotoz]

48. as an older overweight white guy i would imagine that i would throw a shit fit is treated that way

wonder if i would be kept in jail on other charges

i do not tolerate bull shit well

[DallasNE]

60. Simplify Things, Install "Whites Only" Sign

That will save them calling 911 so much.

[Initech]

65. OK can we now call it a police state?

[cali]

68. Not based on this story. This is a story about the casual racism

so endemic in our society.

[JI7]

71. so we have always been a police state ?

[treestar]

72. If he has a credit card he has the money

this is like the kid who paid cash for a watch - he had the damn money.

The card being fraudulent - not unless there is an indicator that would apply to any person with a card.

[adavid]

77. Any money he gets..

out of the settlement should be donated to an anti-discrimination organization. Oh, and it should be disclosed that he is doing so in front of a live presser.

[valerief]

78. I hear Macy's is changing its name to Chik-Hobby-Macy's-fil-a-Lobby. nt

[bonniebgood]

81. What would be interesting is 'an examination' of this person collective reasoning or thought process

behind the assumption to weather this person's ability to afford such a purchase .