:
The retired NBA All-Star and a friend claim they were ousted from the bar of a ritzy Atlanta restaurant because they were black. The restaurant says they weren’t the victims of a discriminatory policy, but a long-standing practice rooted in Southern hospitality that allows women a seat at the bar when the place is packed.
Those arguments were made Monday at the start of the weeklong federal trial of a lawsuit filed by Joe Barry Carroll and attorney Joseph Shaw. The two say they were humiliated when a security guard escorted them from the Tavern at Phipps when they refused to give up their seats to a couple of white women, an action they say was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against blacks.
The reason, according to the restaurant:
The restaurant’s lawyers said the men were asked to give up their seats as part of a long-standing “good manners” practice that’s been in place at the restaurant for 20 years. Attorney David Long-Daniels said thousands of men have complied with those rules, from stars like Michael Jordan to the other men at the bar the night of the incident.
“Chivalry is not dead,” he said. “And it’s not a civil rights violation to give up your seat to a woman.”
On one hand I do respect that, but at the same time it's a bit antiquated. I'm all for being a gentleman but in the spirit of equality, a policy of "first come, first served" seems fair. Besides, the plot thickens.
“They were embarrassed. They were humiliated,” said Bramlett. “And part of the reason it was painful is they had an unobstructed view of seats where white patrons were seated.”
Bramlett said interviews with current and former employees show that Greg Greenbaum, the restaurant’s head, feared that “black thugs” would follow if blacks started flocking to his business. He said the restaurant systematically encouraged managers to avoid hiring too many black staffers and limited black hostesses on peak nights.
Staffers were also told to “slow serve” black patrons during hectic times, he said. And during the February 2003 NBA All Star game, when young black basketball fans crowded the city, the restaurant hung large “Welcome Rodeo Fans” banners and played country music, according to court records.
A bartender has testified that Carroll and Shaw were the only men seated at the bar at the time. If that's true then in this instance, it might just be their policy based on chivalry, though if those other allegations are true then that's certainly disturbing and makes me wonder. Of course, as far as the restaurant's attitude towards women is concerned...
It was all aimed at attracting “white businessmen and well-endowed women” at the expense of black patrons, Bramlett said.
The restaurant’s hope, Long-Daniels said, was to become a safe haven for women so they could come for food and fun after a long day of shopping at the adjoining mall.
Just a couple of sexist undertones there. Chivalry isn't dead, indeed.
