John Henson racially profiled at jewelry store

[bowdown]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13928 ... -profiling

Bucks center John Henson says he was the victim of alleged racial profiling at a posh Milwaukee-area jewelry store, and he has taken to Instagram to call attention to what he called "one of the most degrading" incidents he has experienced.

Henson, who is black, alleged the discrimination began Monday, when luxury jeweler Schwanke-Kasten in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, turned him away from entering the store. Henson said two Whitefish Bay police officers then approached and asked him what he was doing there, why he wanted to go into the store and how he came to be in possession of the vehicle he was driving.

"They [Schwanke-Kasten] locked the door and told me to go away," Henson said in the Instagram post. "After I rang the doorbell twice, everyone went to the back. No [one] answered the door or told me what was going on."

Henson said he told the police he was "just trying to look at a watch," and he was only allowed entry when it became clear to the police that his presence presented no threat to the shop employees and "it was safe."

He wrote he "wouldn't wish this on anyone. This store needs to be called out, and that's what I'm doing. You have no right to profile someone because of their race and nationality, and this incident needs to be brought to light."

[Nick]

How does he know they weren't height profiling? He looks like Slenderman

[Nick]

LOL @ the Yelp reviews that are coming in

[Andrew]

You'd think this kind of stuff would be dying out in 2015. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be the case.

[mp3]

I think store gets everything it deserves!

No place in my life for racists.

[Kevin]

Store should be closed or their staff should all be fired for that. That's just so degrading. Imagine yourself in his position.

[shadowgrin]

Good to know an NBA player that actually knows how to use social media properly.

[air gordon]

Sad to say but I think most high end retail stores profile you once I walked in.

I was looking at furniture this weekend. In the morning I had my sweats on at a decent furniture place. I saw a few things I liked but no salesman walked up to me offering assistance.

I came back later with the wife decently dressed + shaved and to no surprise within minutes a salesperson is asking me questions

[Stress Fracture]

Sad to say but I think most high end retail stores profile you once I walked in.

I was looking at furniture this weekend. In the morning I had my sweats on at a decent furniture place. I saw a few things I liked but no salesman walked up to me offering assistance.

I came back later with the wife decently dressed + shaved and to no surprise within minutes a salesperson is asking me questions

Happens anywhere around the world. When you don't dress up they'll even look at you as if you're gonna steal something.

Those judgmental fucktards.

[Nick]

Everybody is angry with the store, but the police deserve half of the blame. They are the authority, and they perpetuated the profiling.

[mp3]

I get profiled as soon as I walk in places like that too, they just know I can't buy anything in there store!

[Jeffx]

You'd think this kind of stuff would be dying out in 2015. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be the case.

...and never will.

[Andrew]

It sure is a persistent foe, thanks to the hatefully ignorant, and ignorantly hateful.

Everybody is angry with the store, but the police deserve half of the blame. They are the authority, and they perpetuated the profiling.

Oh definitely, it's pretty disgusting all around.

[[Q]]

Everybody is angry with the store, but the police deserve half of the blame. They are the authority, and they perpetuated the profiling.

allegedly when they showed up and realized that it was a bogus call, they wound up leaving without asking for Henson's ID

[shadowgrin]

Everybody is angry with the store, but the police deserve half of the blame. They are the authority, and they perpetuated the profiling.

The irony of this is you already assumed the police are already in the wrong without knowing the full details of the incident.
For all we know the store called the police. Police have to respond to distress calls just to be sure, you can't blame them for acting within protocol.

[Nick]

I read that the police asked Henson where he got an expensive car like that, as if to say he couldn't have got it unless he was a criminal, and wouldn't let him leave without running a background check. There were some other little details too that slip my mind right now that made me raise an eyebrow or two

[air gordon]

Supposedly there was a car parked in front of the store similar to the one Henson was driving that "raised suspicions" a few days previous to this incident

[Andrew]

I read that the police asked Henson where he got an expensive car like that, as if to say he couldn't have got it unless he was a criminal, and wouldn't let him leave without running a background check. There were some other little details too that slip my mind right now that made me raise an eyebrow or two

Noted in the article quoted in the original post:

Henson said two Whitefish Bay police officers then approached and asked him what he was doing there, why he wanted to go into the store and how he came to be in possession of the vehicle he was driving.

[Jeffx]

Growing up, my parents told me the sad reality of life - no matter how much money/status a black person has, to many non-blacks you'll always be "just a n*****". Doesn't matter if you're a brotha from the 'hood, an off-duty cop/fireman, an average middle -class dude like me, a Wall Street broker, a professional athlete or the President. Eventually we get our (to quote Paul Mooney), "n***** wake-up call".

[bowdown]

Growing up, my parents told me the sad reality of life - no matter how much money/status a black person has, to many non-blacks you'll always be "just a n*****". Doesn't matter if you're a brotha from the 'hood, an off-duty cop/fireman, an average middle -class dude like me, a Wall Street broker, a professional athlete or the President. Eventually we get our (to quote Paul Mooney), "n***** wake-up call".

Dude don't say things like that. Obama did get elected President twice. There are still some low-lives who will always look down on others based on their racial/ethnic background but most people are forced to respect a person with a strong character.

And why do you quote Paul Mooney? That guy is nothing special. Be a strong principled person and people will be forced to respect you.

I'm an Indian in the US btw . Yeah some people might be racist but it doesn't matter as long as you do what is right as a matter of principle. You become stronger as a person and people are forced to respect it. That's true all over the world regardless of race.

[NovU]

Supposedly there was a car parked in front of the store similar to the one Henson was driving that "raised suspicions" a few days previous to this incident

Perhaps this is kind of detail that also needs some exposure.

The store was notified to be on alert by cop and it happened to be Henson's car and his gang. Too fucking bad but I see little to no racism in this. Sure Henson is a victim but this probably has less to do with racism and more to do with being at wrong place and wrong time. But ofc Media blows it all up.

Discrimination is subtle but we take it as norm by every race and people not only in america but everywhere in the world. You can't enter a decent restaurant while wearing like a homeless guy. I find it more believable that Henson and his gang looked out of place at wrong time than shop being just ignorantly stupid and racist.

[shadowgrin]

Maybe the store people were shocked to find a black hanging around the store instead of hanging on a tree.

[[Q]]

Growing up, my parents told me the sad reality of life - no matter how much money/status a black person has, to many non-blacks you'll always be "just a n*****". Doesn't matter if you're a brotha from the 'hood, an off-duty cop/fireman, an average middle -class dude like me, a Wall Street broker, a professional athlete or the President. Eventually we get our (to quote Paul Mooney), "n***** wake-up call".

Dude don't say things like that. Obama did get elected President twice. There are still some low-lives who will always look down on others based on their racial/ethnic background but most people are forced to respect a person with a strong character.

And why do you quote Paul Mooney? That guy is nothing special. Be a strong principled person and people will be forced to respect you.

I'm an Indian in the US btw . Yeah some people might be racist but it doesn't matter as long as you do what is right as a matter of principle. You become stronger as a person and people are forced to respect it. That's true all over the world regardless of race.

Sure, but Obama is just only one person. People will always stereotype and try to group people and be quick to judge. It's just a way of life for minorities here

[mp3]

I forgot about this...

phpBB [video]

[air gordon]

Supposedly there was a car parked in front of the store similar to the one Henson was driving that "raised suspicions" a few days previous to this incident

Perhaps this is kind of detail that also needs some exposure.

The store was notified to be on alert by cop and it happened to be Henson's car and his gang.

this "info" was mentioned on a mainstream site (espn)

the pessimist in me thinks it's damage control by the store. easy for a jewelry store to say there was a "suspicious" car or person outside the store. we're talking about milwaukee after all...