The Reverend Al Sharpton has jumped right into the middle of the Barneys controversy. The retailer is being accused of racially profiling black customers at it's New York locations.
19-year old Trayon Christian and 21-year old Kayla Phillips went to the press this week to talk about their experiences at the store. They were both detained by police after buying expensive items.
Trayon Christian
Christian sued Barneys following an accusation of credit card fraud after using his debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in April.
Sharpton threatened on Saturday (October 26) to boycott the store if the retailer fails to respond adequately to the allegations, according to the Associated Press.
The civil rights leader said that black New Yorkers "are not going to live in a town where our money is considered suspect and everyone else's money is respected."
As we previously reported, a petition has been started calling for Jay Z to cut ties with the store. The Roc Nation mogul has a holiday collection partnership with Barneys that is set to launch on November 20.
Barneys has hired hired Michael Yaki, who serves on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, to lead a review of it's fairness and equality practices
NBC New York News report
NBC News report
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