It's not news that walking into a drugstore or popular retailers such as Walmart or Target means finding hair products for black hair on their own shelf, typically separated by an aisle from the more popular hair brands. But one Walmart in Perris, California had hair and skincare products for black customers locked in a glass display case, taking the segregation of products one step further.
Essie Grundy noticed this extreme measure and complained to the employees at her store, who said that the separation was implemented because of direction from Walmart's corporate offices. After her first encounter she went home and "let it go," but when she returned to buy a comb valued at 48 cents, she discovered it locked behind the glass as well. An employee had to get the comb for her and escort her to the cash register before Grundy was allowed to hold her comb.
"I just feel that we need to be treated equal," said Grundy at a news conference with attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing her. "It's no way that we should be treated … just because of a complexion. We are all human and we deserve to be treated as everyone else."
According to KTLA, Charles Crowson, a Walmart spokesperson, claims that "no retailer is “immune to the challenge of crime," and “The decision about which items are subject to additional in-store security is made on a store-by-store basis and often at the discretion of the store manager."
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