Thanks to the racial discrimination lawsuits filed against Barneys and Macy's over the past several weeks, a group of major fashion retailers have decided to gather and figure out how they can be less racist. Hooray!
To be more specific, representatives from both Barneys and Macy's as well as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor are meeting on November 22 in New York City to discuss racial profiling, loss prevention practices and any other store operations that could get them entangled in some nasty legal issues. The event is being co-hosted by the Retail Council of New York State and the New York Metropolitan Retailing Association.
It's good to see that the initial outrage surrounding the Barneys and Macy's cases haven't quickly been forgotten. The perils of "shopping while black" aren't just limited to these distinct luxury stores and the issue needs to be addressed industry wide. With that said we have a few hopes for this pending forum.
Let's hope...
1. This isn't just a some ploy to get back in consumers' good graces before holiday shopping hits.
2. More companies take heed and organize their own discussions.
3. There are some black people in the room voicing their opinions and concerns, that aren't Al Sharpton or anyone from the National Action Network.
“We believe in the goals that they are trying to achieve, a Neiman Marcus spokeswoman for Neiman’s told WWD about the gathering next week.
Our fingers (and toes) are crossed.
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