Typically, Thomasina Horton, an Indianapolis resident, has good experiences when she shops at retail stores in the area. However, she is always prepared for a place where she may attract unwanted attention or be followed due to her appearance.
“Any given day I can expect to be treated like I’m not wanted in a particular store, or that I might steal something,” Horton said. “Those negative experiences are almost like a part of my life as a Black woman.”
Horton is among thousands of shoppers who face discrimination in retail establishments every day. Some shoppers receive poor customer service, or worse, might be unfairly suspected and accused of shoplifting based on their race, age, type of clothing they wear and other factors.
One such incident that made headlines in Indiana involved a local Dot’s clothing store, where three African-American sisters were confronted by police after a manager falsely accused them of shoplifting. No one actually saw the women remove any items, and no evidence of wrongdoing was discovered.
Dot’s offered the women $75 gift cards, but due to the embarrassment of their situation, they filed a claim with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC), which investigated and found that the store did indeed discriminate against the women.
“We saw that they stopped the sisters just on the basis that someone said they stole merchandise, and the indication that we’re getting is that it was because of their race,” said Brad Meadows, communications director for the ICRC. “This violates not only civil rights laws, but also the store’s own policy that staff must actually see someone removing merchandise before confronting them.”
Meadows, who once worked in a retail security position, explained that the policy for most stores is that in order for someone to be detained or stopped for shoplifting, staff must actually witness them in the act, not merely suspect them of it.
“To stop someone when there is no proof they have stolen something is absolutely unacceptable,” Meadows said.
He added that although most retail establishment cases handled by the ICRC are isolated incidents, the agency is committed to ensuring that stores take action against people for the right reasons.
“They need to be watching a person because of suspicious behavior or something they are actually doing, not because of their race, ethnicity or their appearance,” Meadows said.
He noted that some of the scenarios that might prompt security or staff to rightfully observe a shopper include a person who is loitering, someone who picks merchandise up and takes it to another part of the store, an individual who spends an excessive amount of time in one area and constantly looks around to see if someone is watching, and groups of young individuals hanging around expensive merchandise and picking it up or moving it around.
Horton exhibits none of those behaviors while shopping, but occasionally still finds herself in an uncomfortable situation at some retail establishments. She noted that in predominantly white suburban areas such as Fishers she may be the only minority in a store, and may not be greeted like other patrons when she walks in.
“They just kind of look at me,” Horton said. “The expression on their face seems to ask, ‘Are you in the right place?’”
On the other hand, Horton noted, she also knows what it is like to be profiled in predominantly Black areas. She remembers visiting an Eastside beauty salon and noticing that a woman who worked there switched registers just so that she could be able to watch Horton as she walked in different aisles.
“I’ve become accustomed to it,” Horton said. “But I don’t get upset, I just leave and give my business to another place.”
Michelle Gregory, a resident of Greenfield, has also witnessed her fair share of discriminatory encounters in retail establishments.
“I’ve personally experienced challenges in this area with some of my closest friends,” said Gregory, who is white.
She remembers going to a Greenfield clothing door with a Hispanic friend, who left the establishment after she was followed by staff and began feeling uncomfortable. Gregory at first viewed the situation as an isolated incident until one of her African-American friends had a similar experience at a nearby department store, where the woman felt pressured to leave.
“It’s not right that people have to feel this way in this day and age,” Gregory said.
As the mother of a young son, she added her belief that a serious discussion about discrimination in retail and in general is still needed to keep it from being passed on to future generations.
“It’s up to every individual to choose whether or not they want to educate themselves and live in a society where everyone is truly equal,” Gregory said. “We need to teach our children to do better.”
