I like how the Forum handled an e-mail complaint accusing them of ethnic discrimination. The Forum is the latest nightclub to face one of these e-mail campaigns, and like previous accusations this boils down to he said, she said.
In an e-mail last November, member Joe Wind accused a bounce at the club of barring he and his Asian friends from getting in. When the club received the e-mail from Wind describing his experience there, the club's management sent an e-mail apologizing for any "perceived impropriety" and invited Wind to return with friends for a free evening in the VIP area Prive, according to Forum spokesperson Carol Adams. The club did not receive any response from Wind, but the offer still stands, she said. (I have not received a response from Wind either as to whether he plans to accept the offer.)
At a staff meeting, the Forum's management reiterated the clubs desire for diversity and reminded the staff that any sort of discrimination would not be tolerated, Adams said.
Although the club doesn't admit any wrongdoing, they recognize that a patron was upset with the level of service they received, and the club tried to rectify it before Wind's e-mail got a bunch of press.
Still, I'm concerned about the persistent perception that uptown establishments don't welcome ethnic minorities. Whether it's true or not, that perception means when minorities have negative experiences uptown one wonders if skin color played a part in it. On Sunday, Observer writer Gillian Wee writes about her experiences as an Asian in Charlotte. It's not pretty.
You can tell from my previous posts that the issue of how minorities are treated uptown sparks heated debate. Ranting about it on blogs and through e-mails won't solve this problem. I would like to see city leaders form some kind of task force to look at the issue of diversity uptown, from restaurants and bars to the way the city handled the cruisers. Invite people who are black, white, Asian, Hispanic, gay, transgender and anyone else who I've left out to be a member of this task force to identify the problems and solutions. The city should also increase the fine for violating the human relations ordinance. Anything less than $1,000 per incident is laughable.
What do you think? Post your replies below.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Time for a task force
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11 comments:
I am SO over this topic! I am of ethnic decent and I have never been discriminated against! HUH...could it be I KNOW how to act or dress if I go out? I don't believe club/bar owners & employees single people out; they single themselves out! What are city leaders going to do? We will never stop having this conversation but when will people learn that if you are not admitted into a club/bar ITS YOU!? Furthermore, I have seen white guys not allowed into clubs because of their dress code...huh wonder if bubba sent an e-mail or called city leaders?? This topic really is a no-win situation and it will always be around. If you don't like it go to another club!
Go the heck back where you came from if you dont like it here. Why do you keep on complaining about being discriminated against. This is bull. Stick with your own kind and you want have this problem.
These clubs are privately owned. They reserve the right to deny anyone entry based on whatever predicators they want. Asians and blacks cause the most trouble, period. Any guns being waved around uptown Charlotte are most assuredly being waved around by black men & Asian men. They have proved time and time again they are a menace to society. Why would any business owners enthusiastically welcome these brainless thugs into their clubs???
These "folk" aren't uptown to have fun, and they certainly don't spend any money, they are up here to cause trouble and challenge the authorities and local business owners who are forced to deal with criminal-minded minorities for fear of being unfairly branded racists.
Tonya Jameson should mind her own freaking business, and stick to writing puff pieces about Usher & Snoop Dogg, instead of trying to rabble rouse and promote her pro-black, pro-lesbian agenda. Somebody should run her ass out of town pronto.
C. Waters
Charlotte
isn't easy to seethe, lash out, rant, rave and hate when you can choose to be anonymous?
Wow, these are some of the most ignorant responses I have ever seen.
Uptown has been silently positioning itself as the type of place where some people are welcome and some people aren't. I think the issue extends beyond just whether club owners are racist. I think there is a whole issue around access to cultural events that happen in Uptown. If you are poor and if you are a member of a minority group(and God forbid you might be both) do you feel like Uptown is a place where you are welcome? Especially when you constantly get messages that this is not a place where you are supposed to be? When parking is expensive, public transit is unreliable and ticket prices to cultural events are unaffordable?
So if you ask me, is Uptown showing itself as classist and racist? Absolutely!
Lacey W.
for those that dont like tonyas articles...why do you read them?
Rusty-wonderful comments! I cannot say the same about Tonya because i have never met her but enjoy her articles and i think she stirs up some real Sh** with these. And PLEASE dont get me started on the illegal immigrants! Tonya, instead of city leaders worrying about the blacks killing eachother we should worry about the immigrants!
Jennifer Davis
Take your points to the city council meetings, what about those that are on welfare who are illegal. and YES it does happen. No matter what city you live in there will always be rude, ignorant people...its the reality of America.
What kind of readership is Charlotte.com getting?
It's like the Who's Who of ignorant, racist a-holes in here.
Since when did 1953 Mississippi get internet access?
I think Tonya's article serves its purpose and that is to bring to light of thing happening uptown and to expose people and their racicst points of view.
This is quite distressing. Thank you Tonya for exposing these KKK Bigots! Damn shame they exist in Charlotte. Perhaps I should bring in Spiderman to kick their hooded butts?
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