More Racial Profiling at Barney’s…Damn. Just Damn.

Another Black couple was racially profiled at Barneys. In an attempt to return a pair of jeans and a scarf, they had a guard take their receipt, merchandise, and debit card and refused to give them back.

Seriously, Why do Black folks continue to shop here?

A couple of years ago a Black college student who spent $300 of his workstudy moeney on a Gucci belt was racially profiled at when he shopped at Barneys. And a few months after, that a Black female Home Health aide who took her $2,500 tax refund money to buy a designer purse from Barneys was also racially profiled.

There’s a clear pattern of racial profiling at Barney’s. But Black folks continue making efforts to spend their money there. Putting the value of overpriced merchandise over much more valuable things such as their dignity.

The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing and expecting a different result. And Black folks shopping at Barney’s is just insane.

In the aftermath of numerous incidents of racial profiling, the owners at Barney’s continue to show how little they value Black customers and the Black dollar. But Black people don’t seem to understand that their respect is worth more than money. And when a business does not show people respect, people shouldn’t do business there.

That’s a message that hasn’t registered with Black people regarding Barney’s. They value social currency more than intangibles such as their dignity and self-respect. They value the attention and praise they get from others more for wearing designer clothes than the value they get for being Black. 

Damn. Just Damn.

As a Black man who has been racially profiled in stores, I understand the value of my money and my intangibles of manhood. When a business doesn’t show me respect, I keep my money in my pocket and head for the door. I understand that my money has value and if that business wants my money they will show me my respect. If they can’t value me as a man then they do not deserve to get my money in exchange for their merchandise.

Black folks don’t need to protest Barneys or boycott Barney’s. They just need to NOT shop there. Any business that can’t show a Black person respect is not a place the Black dollar needs to be spent. If Black folks would stop chasing social currency, maybe they’d be able to make some social change. Instead of shopping at Barney’s take that money back uptown to one of the Black-owned merchants and enrich one of the members of your own community and uplift your people out of poverty.