Walmart locked up hair products for people of color, and now it’s being sued
From the latest hair trends, to must-have products, to celebs like Katie Holmes who provide inspo for what’s sure to be a trendy cut for 2018, hair is a huge deal for many people. It can also be a sensitive topic. You need look no further than the backlash caused by Kim Kardashian calling her cornrows “Bo Derek braids.” And now? Walmart is being sued for what some say is racial discrimination in the hair care aisle.
After a Southern California woman shared her experience shopping at Walmart, many are crying foul — and she’s even suing the mega-retailer. It all started when Essie Grundy went to buy a comb but noticed something very different about how products for Black women were stored. While other hair care items were within reach on the shelves, the products for “ethnic” hair were locked behind a case.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/955284663064342528
Seriously?
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/955285755399569408
The image was shocking, or at least enough to make most people shake their heads and ask one simple question: why?
.@Walmart Do you want to explain why one of your stores has locks on ONLY the black hair care products?
In case you weren't aware, this is racist and wrong. pic.twitter.com/T59cjr1bbT
— Detrick Manning (@DetrickManning) January 25, 2018
FOR EVERYONE SAYING SOMETHING LIKE “ITS CAUSE THEY’RE STOLEN MORE OFTEN” STOP RIGHT THERE, CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY IF THEYRE GONNA LOCK UP SPECIFIC PRODUCTS IN THE STORE IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE MAKEUP AISLE TOO. https://t.co/Udh2Ulu2DK
— Mae 🤠 (@maegan_douglas) January 28, 2018
But Grundy didn’t just stop with a few tweets. She’s suing Walmart for discrimination and has hired famed attorney Gloria Allred. During a press conference, Allred told reporters that the choice to keep some products under lock and key “perpetuates a racial stereotype that African-Americans are thieves.”
In a statement, Walmart shared that certain items require additional security measures based on the data of each location. “A high-value item in Washington or California or Colorado is not necessarily going to be a high-value item in Virginia or Tennessee. That’s why you have fishing equipment locked up in Florida.”
The retailer went on to say that they’re “sensitive to this situation.” They added:
"While we’ve yet to review a complaint, we take this situation seriously and look forward to addressing it with the court.
Hmm, okay.