Essie Grundy is suing Walmart after experiencing acts of racism at her local store when trying to buy some hair products. The Californian mother of five is not going in alone, for she has famed women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred representing her case.
The woman said to reporters at the DailyWire: “When I walked down the aisle and saw that Walmart had placed all of the African American hair and skin products under lock and key, I had to pause; I had to step back; I was in shock. I realized that all the similar products for other races was freely available.” Grundy went on to say that she was involuntarily escorted to the cash register to pay for her products.
Attorney Gloria Allred accused Walmart or perpetuating racial stereotypes, according to the DailyWire. An official Walmart spokesperson responded to the accusations, saying: “We’re sensitive to this situation and also understand, like other retailers, that some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics, and other personal care products are subject to additional security. Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis using data supporting the need for the heightened measures.”
Gloria Allred stands by her client and her desire to move forward with the lawsuit. By the Walmart spokesperson’s claims, the hair extensions at this particular Walmart are frequently stolen, therefore they need to be put under lock and key like any other product that might frequently get stolen. Allred isn’t buying that.
According to the Walmart spokesperson, as stated to the DailyWire: “While we’ve yet to review a complaint, we take this situation seriously and look forward to addressing it with the court.”
This isn’t the first time Walmart has been accused of racism by the public. In April 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Montana filed a claim against Walmart for racial discrimination and libel on behalf of Professor Gilbert Kalonde who sought damages for injury to his name and reputation after a dispute with his local Walmart over renewing his fishing license.
Montana law requires applicants to state their occupation on their fishing license. Prof. Kalonde claimed he worked at the University. The next day he read his fishing license which read “cleans toilets.” He requested an apology from the retail mogul but never received one. Apparently, Walmart has made little efforts to resolve this issue to this day.
