In the latest Racism Is Alive And Well news, a couple of young girls were racially profiled and tossed out of an Applebee’s for a crime they did not commit.
Alexis Brison and a friend went shopping at the Independence Center in Independence, Missouri (near Kansas City) and decided to have dinner afterwards at a nearby Applebee’s. The two were about an hour into their meal when it was unexpectedly interrupted by blatantly racist authority figures; In a video shared to Facebook, Applebee’s staff called mall security and Independence Police to accost the women and accuse them of having dined and dashed the previous day.
“About an hour into our dinner we were approached by a Independence police officer, a mall cop, and the restaurant manager,” wrote Brison in a now-viral Facebook post. “We were told that we were accused of eating and not paying for CHICKEN the day before (dining and dashing). Mind you that we have proof that can show our whereabouts and it’s not even in our character to steal.”
Officers became increasingly aggressive as Brison and her friend attempted to defend themselves. The altercation ended in tears.
“Can we just pay for our food and leave? We haven’t done anything,” pleads one of the girls in the beginning of the video. They were detained, and from there it becomes exponentially more uncomfortable to watch with each passing minute:
Hey facebook friends and family I need your help reposting this. Especially in black history month black people cannot continue to be treated this way. My friend and I were shopping at the independence center in independence, Missouri(Near Kansas City), when we were done we decided to get a bite to eat at Applebee’s. About an hour into out dinner we were approached by a Independence police officer, a mall cop, and the restaurant manager. We were told that we were accused of eating and not paying for CHICKEN the day before (dining and dashing). Mind you that we have proof that can show our whereabouts and it’s not even in our character to steal. After being mocked, humiliated, and embarrassed we were asked to pay for our food, leave, and not come back. After leaving, calls were made to the restaurant and the manager stated that our accuser remembered that there was a SKINNY girl and a girl who wore MAKEUP. In 2018 is this really what we’re debased to? Our weight and whether or not we wore makeup. She could not recognize any facial features or any defining characteristics . This is a clear example of RACIAL PROFILING that should not be stood for. Just because we are black does not mean we are all criminals and I will not be treated as such. #repost Applebee's Grill & Bar
Posted by Alexis Brison on Saturday, February 10, 2018
Brison ends her Facebook message with a plea to end racial profiling:
After being mocked, humiliated, and embarrassed we were asked to pay for our food, leave, and not come back. After leaving, calls were made to the restaurant and the manager stated that our accuser remembered that there was a SKINNY girl and a girl who wore MAKEUP. In 2018 is this really what we’re debased to? Our weight and whether or not we wore makeup. She could not recognize any facial features or any defining characteristics . This is a clear example of RACIAL PROFILING that should not be stood for. Just because we are black does not mean we are all criminals and I will not be treated as such. #repostApplebee’s Grill & Bar
The fact that the girls weren’t even offered an opportunity to prove their whereabouts the previous day solidifies this incident as racial profiling rather than just mere suspicion.
The post, which has been viewed almost 3 million times, shared over 64,000 times, and garnered over 25,000 comments, was full of folks sympathizing with the two girls and voicing outrage and sadness at the repulsive state of affairs:
Many were upset at the condescending way authorities treated the two young girls:
The CEO of Applebee’s has since released this official statement:
“Our team has been working throughout the weekend and will continue to work to determine what happened and what appropriate measures will be taken,” said Bill Georgas, CEO of Applebee’s local franchisee. “We do not tolerate racism or bigotry of any nature. We currently have no indications this was race related. We have a diverse workforce that is reflective of the community we serve. All are welcome at our restaurant, and will continue to be welcome.”
And followed it up by firing the store manager and two other employees after Brison’s Facebook post gained a momentum that could not be ignored. They shared the following message:
“We recognize the hurt and pain caused by the recent incident at an Applebee’s restaurant in Independence, Mo. We very much regret this occurred and sincerely apologize to our guests and community. After an internal investigation and in-line with our values, the franchisee terminated the manager, server and another employee involved in the incident.
The chain even temporarily closed down that particular restaurant in light of the incident:
We do not tolerate racism, bigotry or harassment of any nature, and we have taken additional steps to close the restaurant at this time in order for the team there to regroup, reflect, learn and grow from this. We are reaching out to the guests involved to apologize directly. We know rebuilding trust with those affected by the incident will take time, and we look forward to finding resolution in the coming days.
Hopefully, the two girls take action against the restaurant. The police officer behaved unprofessionally, and should’ve known the burden of proof in this situation rested on restaurant staff rather than the accused. BE BETTER.