Akron Ohio - African American with white buddy refused service

[RamboLiberal]

Anyone from Akron know of this restaurant. Irony is the guy refused service is a newspaper columnist - and he works for Dicky Mellon Scaife's newspaper. He's going to be on local talk radio in a few minutes here in Pittsburgh on 1360 AM.

Here's his column:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/columnists/seate/s_151170.html

Though my friend and I were tired, wet and hungry, I was glad to find myself in this situation. We'd just been thrown out of a restaurant in downtown Akron, and for once, I'd had a witness. Not that I spend a great deal of time collecting doormen's footprints on my behind.
It's just that the kind of puzzling social situations I write about in this column are too often dismissed as exaggeration or imagination.

This time, however, I had a genuine, certified white person along who seemed as shocked as Rosa Parks getting a free bus pass in Montgomery by what had just happened.

"I think they threw us out because I'm white," my Trib colleague Joe Appel joked, lightening up an unhappy situation.

Maybe that's why the staff of Akron's Diamond Grill decided to give us the heave-ho, but I wouldn't bet the apartment in the projects on it. We'd been driving around the one-time capital of tire manufacturing for the better part of half an hour when we spotted the Diamond Grill's kitschy neon sign from a few blocks away. We'd had a successful day of work and decided to relax Rat Pack-style over steaks and dry martinis.

Pushing the door open, we were greeted by a tidy, upscale restaurant that was nearly empty. Inside were a pair of bored-looking waitresses, a couple eating at a corner table and a bartender. We sat at the bar and began eyeballing the top-shelf bottles, but the bartender slowly backed away instead of greeting us. A few silent seconds went by as he and the waitresses exchanged nervous glances.

[Terwilliger]

1. America...where blacks are LUCKY if they can get a seat at the table

if not, they're thrown out on their ass :grr:

[tjdee]

2. It's crap like this that makes me reluctant to venture away from NY/NJ

Or, away from the middle atlantic states.

Though, some years ago I got called a nigger while walking home in my suburban NJ town by some guys driving past me, and even in Philadelphia, and NYC itself, being with a white guy who wasn't even my boyfriend was enough to cause funny looks.

Maybe we were just stunningly gorgeous??

Why don't people actually think how it feels to be on the receiving end of treatment like that? Are they so consumed with themselves they don't have empathy/sympathy/whatever for anyone else?

Like, is it so important to get their 'I'm a racist' rocks off that they don't see the look on someone's face that *they* caused?

I wouldn't be surprised if they were Bush/Cheney all the way, either.

[Droopy]

3. Amazing

And it happened right here in my own home state. I thought we were through with this kind of thing especially around here. That is the first time I've ever heard this kind of thing around here and I've lived here for most of my thirty years. But maybe I just don't get around much and this is more prevalent than I realize. I hope not.

[hang a left]

4. I feel like I am in a time warp

[Cha]

5. WHAT?

Gotta Love the Irony, though!

:toast: to Irony of this magnitude!

[Brewman_Jax]

6. The worse part is not that it happened, but

it still happens in 2003, and white people refuse to believe that it still happens, as if my word isn't good enough. I refer to this article www.mdcbowen.org/p2/rm/white/solomon.html also, because even Joshua Solomon didn't believe it.

[Generic Other]

15. In defense of white people

remember, that what minorities witness firsthand, most of them do not. When they do encounter this sort of racism, white people are often very angry. They are not used to having their sense of entitlement as a birthright challenged by others.

My husband was with a group of teachers driving to a conference when they stopped at a restaurant in Idaho. One of their number was a black woman. They were denied service by being ignored even after repeatedly signaling the waitress who simply glared at them until they finally gave up and left. The black teacher said something to the effect that the others might want to introduce her as the maid at the next stop. She seemed less angered, perhaps she was only less surprised, than the three white teachers who were with her. They were very upset.

Again, I don't fault people who say they've never seen it, because I know that if they experience this kind of racism firsthand, most will never forget what it feels like.

[Brewman_Jax]

19. That's nice, but...

an example of the lame excuses I hear, along with "that doesn't happen here," or "that happened in the past," etc.

Rather than a defense, how about acknowledgement? You can't solve the problem until you admit that there is a problem.

[Generic Other]

23. My white husband never experienced racism until he married me

I think that white Americans who witness this sort of thing firsthand have a very different response than those who are in denial.

It often enrages them. And I think that's because it does come as a shock even for them. We have all been taught we are a "colorblind society," when in fact it is this sort of racism that we are really blind to.

Did you notice in the article who seemed most upset by the actions in the restaurant? It was the white reporter who tried to soften what he felt was a brutally cruel act, one he could not deny witnessing, but he didn't want to believe. He tried to diffuse the situation with humor, but I doubt he will ever forget that "eyeopening" experience.

I am glad that the reporter shared the story with readers, because now they too can witness firsthand.

[eileen from OH]

7. Holy crap

I've eaten there lots of times - it's an Akron landmark. I will say that the "guy in the tie and glasses" ain't 'zactly Mr. Friendly, but I've overlooked it cuz the joint has fabulous steaks. But no more. This totally sucks and I hope the asshole gets fired.

eileen from OH

[1monster]

13. Make sure the restaurant knows that you will eat there no more and why...

Send them an open letter by way of the op/ed page in your local newspaper...

Don't just get mad, get even. :evilgrin:

[Cocoa]

8. he should sue

Denny's had to pay many milliions after they refused service to a group of what turned out to be Secret Service agents. oops...

[WillyT]

27. Yes !!! --- Sue The Living Snot Out Of Them !!!

Back in the 70's, two guys I knew made quite a bit of money by catching apartment managers\owners with racist policies.

The first guy, Famous MacElwee (sp?), a black man who used to play for the Kansas City Chiefs (I think) would go into an appartment complex and ask to rent an apartment. They'd let him fill out an app, but would always tell him that there were no apartments available,and that the waiting list was miles long.

He'd leave, and about a half hour later, his white buddy would go to that same apartment complex, and whaddaya know, they had an apartment vacant, and they'd show it to him, and ask how soon he wanted to move in.

Then 'ole Famous would walk back in and the two of 'em would threaten a lawsuit. The apartment owners would generally settle out of court.

Great way to make money during your summer vacations, no???

Make the racists pay!!!

:shrug:

[zbdent]

9. Since the guy works for Scaife, then it's a shame

that he wasn't in a business suit. It means even much more to have an African American in a suit get thrown out of a respectable place than to have two grungy guys walk in soaking wet, plop down at the bar and start sizing it up (which could be construed to be similar to getting ready to rob the place, white, black, chinese, or what).

[Fescue4u]

10. Im not convinced racism was at play there.

At best, that restaurant is guilty of being rude and a poor communicator, at worst they are racist bastards.

I dunno though. Other than the fact that one of the guys was black, there is nothing to indicate that they were denied service BECAUSE he was black. Surely he was not the first black patron ever?

Another more plausible explanation was that they were going to close up and they communicated it poorly. This is evidenced by the lack of activity in the restaurant and they were the only other patrons. In addition, no reference was given to the time of day or night that this occured.

At best, the restaurant deserve to be shunned for treating its customers so poorly. If they are guilty of racism, they should be shutdown.

[nomaco-10]

12. I was thinking the very same thing....

The time of night was not mentioned. They didn't seem to know themselves why they were "thrown out". The facts are a little sketchy for me to make a sweeping opinion on this. I think you're right though, there was definetly some miscommunication here and the restaurant is at fault for something.

[Devlzown]

29. I wondered about that, too.

I'm a waiter and I can tell you that I'm not exactly thrilled when people walk in the door 10 or 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks, dishwashers, and other employees aren't too happy about it either. Some of our managers have the good sense to tell these guests that we're about to close shortly and ask them if they wouldn't mind making it quick. Some decide to go elsewhere and others go ahead and sit down but don't linger. Regardless of whether this was a racial incident, though, I think that restaurant is a place I would avoid. If they can't observe the basic rules of a polite society, they don't deserve to be in business.

[zbdent]

11. Hey, is his picture on his column?

Maybe they recognized him as a RW stooge and wanted nothing to do with him.

[theboss]

14. I'm skeptical

True Story: When I was an undergrad at Princeton, the Penn daily paper had a columnist who said he was at a Penn-Princeton game and three "Princeton" students behind him kept saying that the Tigers needed "more niggers" to keep up with Penn. He quoted them at least three times saying things like "Man, they're sending another n-word in." He then basically accused the entire school of being racist.

Well, I was a columnist for our paper. And I was appalled, because I thought this was true. I was going to write a column blasting the student body, etc, etc. So, I called the writer to get more details.

It turned out that these guys didn't say exactly what he accused them of saying (more like, "Wow! Princeton is all white!" and "How can they win with an all-white team?") and they were probably locals from Philly and not Princeton students at all. So, instead, I wrote the column blasting him for being a sensationalist.

I'm not saying this didn't happen. It very well may have. But first-person columns are always a little suspect with me.

[uptohere]

16. boy, good thing they weren't down south, would have gotten shot !

I thought that sort of thing only happend down here ! I guess you yankees are just as racist as all us rednecks down here huh ?

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Not news

If you are black, this is not news. This kind of thing is more common place. The surprise here is that they did it with a witness.

[salin]

21. The bigger surprise

is that some still chose to try to find an alternative explanation... like... "gee that must be a mistake... that doesn't still happen in 2003". :shrug:

[Brian Sweat]

26. A bar in North Florida got in hot water a few years back

because they made African American patrons sit in the back room. The law came down hard on them This shit is still happening in America.

[sandnsea]

18. I'm 45, never been asked to leave a restaurant

Never.

[Sweetpea]

20. I am black and yesterday I was with my nephew and we had 6

NY cab drivers pass us.

[salin]

22. While I am white, I lived in a very poor, non-white community

enmeshed in a very wealthy region. Hard to get cabs, somehow was 'out of the delivery area' for various pizza places - though they would deliver 3 blocks away (across the city limit), the airport shuttle cost 10-15 more dollars than three blocks away (across the city limit), and in a HUGE blackout the other areas were up within 1-2 days, our community 3+.... big scandal... on utility worker admited that they would not send workers to our community if they were likely to have to keep working in the dark - and so each day they just didn't get scheduled until too late... this was later denied by the utility company - but the fact that ALL neighboring communities were up and running 1-2 days earlier sort of confirmed the story.

[Gogi]

24. I am white and disabled.

Until you have been ridiculed for years about your appearance and have had someone yell at you and throw the trash from their car at your feet for daring to be out in public, will you understand the sensitivity.

[Chovexani]

25. I hate Ohio

(I apologize in advance to Ohio DUers, as ya'll are a decent lot. It's just that every single experience I've ever had in that state makes me think it's the 9th Circle of Hell)

A couple years back I dated an IT guy from Cleveland who I met on a MUD that I used to play (MUDs are like a text-based version of Dungeons & Dragons, but played over the Net). It was long distance, since I'm in NY, but I went out to Cleveland frequently and it never ceased to amaze me how fucking backwards that town was. People talk shit about the South, but Cleveland is the most segregated city I have ever seen in my life. Boyfriend lived close to Downtown, in a nice area about five minutes from the baseball stadium, IIRC. When we walked about town, we got the dirtiest looks imaginable (should I mention here that I'm black and he was white?). One time we went out to dinner after visiting the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, at a swanky Italian place, and I heard whispers in the ladies room about "that guy who actually brought a call girl in here" (cause, why else would a young black woman be out with a moderately successful white guy? she has to be a prostitute). Sometimes when I was there on vacation and went to take a walk to the market or something (when he was at work), cops would stop me and ask if I was lost. I have never been made so painfully aware of my race as I was in that city.

In fairness, I have gotten dirty looks while walking around with Mr. Chovexani right here in NYC (he's an Aussie), although they're usually from black guys, funny enough. You know, that "you're a traitor to your Race and the Black Family" look. :eyes:

I swear, if you don't think racism is alive and well today, date someone with a different level of melanin in their skin than you have. Cleveland Boyfriend was a libertarian and thought I was full of shit when I'd go off about various racial issues, but his eyes opened wide when we started hanging out with each other IRL.

[Best_man23]

28. My run in with racism

About a year ago, I was on a date with a very nice, attractive Japanese woman who I had met through a mutual friend. We went out to dinner at a local steakhouse and had been there for awhile minding our own business and enjoying our meals. I had to step away for a few minutes to go to the washroom. When I came back, two white women were standing in front of the table berating my date with "Can't you find someone of your own race." Apparently, they had been eyeing us since we had entered the restaurant.

Even in the 21st Century, racism is stil alive and well.

[Lady President]

30. Diamond Grill?!?

Wow! I lived in Akron for several years and went to Diamond Grill several times. It's known as one of the best places in town, especially for steak. My family even went there for dinner after I graduated from law school~ eww.

I just forwarded the article to all my friends in Akron, all of whom are lawyers who frequent the place, and asked them to spread the word. Akron has many faults, but it is a very liberal town and this is the kind of news that could rightfully damage the restaurant. If anyone else has friends in that area, send the link because they probably didn't see a Pittsburgh article.