Comedy | March 17, 2010 | 132 comments

"All Black People" Asked to Leave Wal-Mart

source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/All-Black-People-Asked-to-Leave-South-Jersey-...

Image
diode
i understand that the joke was in poor taste, however stuff like this happens all the time, i did it when i worked at home depot even, i mean i didn't say anything like that but, it's pranking the PA system isn't abnormal.

Ellington is living in a fantasy world if he thinks our kids are being taught tolerance. also, for the record, even customers can access the PA systems if they're not idiots, so it could just as easily have been a customer that did it, not a Wal-Mart employee. i don't care either way i just thought the point should be made that they're assumptions may be wrong

Wal-Mart officials are looking at security tapes after an announcement was made for "all black people'' to leave a store in South Jersey.

A man used the public-address system at the Route 42 store in Washington Township Sunday night and calmly announced: "Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now.''

Patricia Covington and Shelia Ellington were inside the store when it happened and told the Courier Post that customers and store employees looked stunned when they heard it.

"In 2010, I want to know why such statements are being made because it flies in the face of what we teach them [our kids] at home, and that's tolerance for people," said Ellington.

Ellington and other customers let store management and police know they were upset.

They asked the store to use the same announcement system to apologize to customers that night, which it did.

Wal-Mart management called the incident "unacceptable," and said it's working to make sure nothing like this happens at any other stores.

Washington Township police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office are investigating the incident as a possible bias crime.

"I can't believe it in this day and age," Covington told the paper. "Wal-Mart needs to be more responsible."

Covington and Elllington are boycotting the store.
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    Community,   Comedy,   Human Rights,   United States of America,   5 more
  2. tags:
    humorous conflicts
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132 comments // "All Black People" Asked to Leave Wal-Mart

  • ras_menelik
  • flyingkick
    • 0
      flyingkick  

    • I think this is difficult for the older generations to find humorous because they grew up with overt racism in the media and popular culture.

      For younger generations who grew up with racial humor being less about racism and more about comedy, this is pretty funny.

      I grew up with Bernie Mac and Dave Chappelle making fun of White people and laughing my ass off. So it's only natural to see no problem with making fun of Black people as well. To exclude them from being the subject of comedy would itself be racist.

      The thing about racial humor though is that the context has to be right, or else it will just be misinterpreted. The context of a Wal-Mart intercom is so broad, it's easy to see how this was misinterpreted.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • thedirtman
    • 0
      thedirtman  
    • flyingkick:

      I have no objection to this article, especially filed as news or even not news, but I did object to having it filed under comedy because for the reasons flyingkick mentioned. The possibility that overt racism could be comedy was unacceptable to me. Sorry.

      I understand there are a number of situations that are appropriate. It is appropriate as news (we need to have the information), and it would be appropriate as a situation within a comedy - it does lead to a number of unusual situations that occur in real life. The overt act considered as comedy is the extent of my objection.

      Myself, I'm just a white guy. My family looks like Obama's family. I can relate to Obama when he said that Christmas gatherings at my house can look like international convention.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  
    • flyingkick:

      Exactly. In the context of WalMart it's a criminal hate crime. People don't deserve to be walking through a Wal-Mart and subject to this kind of torment and humiliation. They perpetrators should be prosecuted, as should Wal-Mart.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
  • JonRaymond
  • jimm888
  • JonRaymond
  • jimm888
    • 0
      jimm888  

    • soooo what would have happend if the anouncment had been for all the white people to leave the store? Not much I imagine. we don't get that upset by silly pranks and I am sure we are supposed to just take it like all the black comics making white jokes, and all the other reverse discrimination.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  
    • jimm888:

      discrimination is discrimination, reverse discrimination would be what everybody wants, which is no discrimination. sorry, pet peeve about phrasing, its an OCD thing. but i agree with you

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
  • diode
    • +1
      diode  

    • the only thing i put for this was news. all this other crap there is being deleted

      Groups: x News, x Tech, x Comedy, x Human Rights, x Not News, x United States of America, x Corporate Crime, x Actual News, x Sociology, x Above the Law, x Under Current...., x Racism 8 more

      Tags: x Walmart Sucks, x Black Comedy, x One liners

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  

    • racism has nothing to do with it. jonraymond, you're a hypocrite as far as I'm concerned. you've basically said it was then wasn't funny. this wasn't posted as a joke, it wasn't posted with the intent of being a joke. however 90% of the current users LOL'd at it anyways and the mods put it in the comedy section. so go fuck yourselves for jumping to conclusions.

      funny is funny, and you apparently don't understand how to take something at face value apparently. if i was black, you wouldn't be saying shit about racism. every black comedian i have heard, which is a lot, make fun of white people, every time. that, is by definition, racist, but they are also funny. so guess what, racism can be funny regardless of your color. grow the hell up its not 1940 anymore.

    • 1 year ago
  • remanns
  • EdJoyProductions
  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  
    • diode:

      Racism has nothing to do with it? Some asshole gets on the WalMart PA and tells all black people to leave the store and you claim racism has nothing to do with it?

      Are you literate?

      It's only funny to racist white people. No black people are laughing. When something is funny everyone gets to laugh. I guess you also get a kick out of water torture, rape and pillaging. Yeah, that's a fucking riot.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  
    • JonRaymond:

      you must be illiterate, and have not read any other comments on this entire page where half a dozen users of currents darker variety have lol'd at this. i showed it to my two black coworkers who both laughed at it.

      and they still don't know who did it. is it racist if a black person did it? would you be crying then like a disillusioned fool as you are now? and you yourself posted it was funny. and now you're arguing against it. you're not worth responding to anymore. good day

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  
    • JonRaymond:

      ' When something is funny everyone gets to laugh.'

      are you that disillusioned and narrow minded? you're statement is so wrong it's not even funny, just sad

    • 1 year ago
  • likeamazing
  • JonRaymond
  • JonRaymond
  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  
    • Image

    • http://current.com/items/92326751_another-walmart-boycott-racism.htm

      Backlash update:

      Two South Jersey Wal-Mart customers who heard a racist message broadcast over the store's public address system say the whole ordeal is no laughing matter.

      Sheila Ellington and Virginia Tinsley were shopping inside the Washington Township Wal-Mart along Rt. 42 in Turnersville, N.J. just before 5 p.m. on Sunday when they say a man came over the PA system and said: "Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now."

      "It was a disgusting comment," Ellington said. "Once I heard that, I was absolutely shocked and appalled."

      The man was very calm when he broadcast the message, according to Tinsley.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • serenden68
    • 0
      serenden68  

    • we honestly need to stop bickering over stupid insignificant shit.

      this isnt going to be detrimental to my life, nor yours.... this comment im posting isn't going to add anything to my life except that i made the comment....

      we have issues far more important, as a whole country to face, than race. we also have the fact that tomorrow is really not promised to you nor me... we could go to sleep tonight and not wake up next morning although we are in perfect health... just think about things that are more important to you personally, things that would improve your life. rather than be bitter, you'll be pissed at yourself in the end if all you do is get mad at shit...

      kinda ironic and sad but oh so true.

      i know a lot of people that read this article will pass over my comment without thinking twice about it(if they think about it at all). but i cannot stress to you enough how short your life really is.... you dont even know how long your going to live. you dont even know if your going to wake up the next morning, what if your heart just all the sudden stopped while your asleep....

      please people... stop bickering over stupid insignificant bullshit that doesn't improve your life in any way shape or form...

      fuck racism and all that bullshit, just experience life while you have it, and savor every second.... "ESPECIALLY" if you have someone to share it with..

    • 1 year ago
  • KSirys
  • JonRaymond
  • JonRaymond
  • JonRaymond
  • serenden68
    • +1
      serenden68  
    • JonRaymond:

      ok honestly i dont know what my race has anything to do with wanting people to enjoy life while they have it... nor do i know why im getting a negative response for saying lifes too short to get caught up in race bullshit.

      but i am mixed; black, hispanic and native american.

      and cant handle what truth? did you even read what i said? i just asked you to enjoy the short life you have thats not even promised to you tomorrow... and your mad at me?... this is a new breed of idiocy.

      to all those who would actually take the time to read and understand what i am saying, i say it again. please dont take your life for granted and waste it arguing over stupid racial bullshit...

      live it while you got it.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
    • +1
      JonRaymond  
    • serenden68:

      Please don't marginalize racism. I too am mixed and don't identify as a black person. But I do empathize and can fully understand the hurt a black person would feel walking through WalMart and hearing this over the PA. How can you dismiss this so lightly? Sure we should all move on and forget about racism, unless we are victimized by it.

      If you were black and made your statement it might hold some weight. But there's no way you'll find a black person make such a statement, will you? Why is that?

      If someone beat your head in and then said, 'oh sorry, that was just a joke' would you dismiss it and move on? Well that's exactly how these black people feel. They deserve some justice and it is right that this gets full media attention for what it is. Racism, pure and simple. Even the authorities are taking it a s serious hate crime. This must be exposed. We don't let people off the hook in America my friend.

      If you found out that a Muslim had made an announcement that all white people should fuck off and die, would you have the same reaction? No. The guy would probably be exported to a black site for water torture.

      So why does WalMart get off the hook? How many stores do you know of where you can walk in and make announcements over the PA? I don't know of one. Yet WalMart claims innocence here. Bullshit!

      Have some respect.

    • 1 year ago
  • serenden68
    • +1
      serenden68  
    • JonRaymond:

      ok you say this as if im not part black myself... no matter what races i have mixed in me all people will see is that im black. and yes i have actually been a victim of racism and it hurt ... but as i got older and matured, i realized that if i keep paying attention to color then im going to be mad all my life because no matter where you go there will be racism, and thats not how i want to live life... i dont let others actions dictate my own actions...

      im not saying walmart should get off the hook for racial slurs, but i am saying LIFE IS TOO FUCKING SHORT FOR THIS RACISM BULLSHIT....

      you act like walmart execs actually care what we think right now... you think a boycott is going to effect walmart owners? hell no...their multi million if not billionaires. nothing we say or do will effect them... so why waste your time on nothing when you could be spending it making your life better.... shit im asking myself the same question talking to you right now...

      do you think our little argument means anything?... obviously im not going to sway your opinion on the matter, and your not making me think twice about my stance on everything. so why are we having a meaningless argument about something(nothing) that isn't going to do anything for our lives?

      and if people would just ignore stupidity like comments made in that walmart then it wouldnt have as big of effect if any because no one would care... and that person who said it would feel like an idiot... one of the only ways to defeat racism, is to stop looking at and paying attention to race all together.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
  • diode
  • KSirys
  • KSirys
  • serenden68
    • +1
      serenden68  
    • JonRaymond:

      .... real black people? oh so im fake for not..... ugh this argument is pointless..

      i think black people need to start handling their business and build their selves up so stupid bullshit like this wont effect them.

      why let what someone says effect you so much.. that means they have a form of control over you in that when ever they say something you dont like you get pissed....

      fuck that..

      id rather live my life the way i want, with out letting others actions dictate my own. period.

      thats how i feel. and if others take racist bull to the heart, then they are going to be pissed at the world for the rest of their life... and im sorry but thats just not how i want to spend what short life i have.

    • 1 year ago
  • MoonLoon
    • +1
      MoonLoon  
    • JonRaymond:

      "The real Black People", now I am very curious as too who these mysterious "real black people are"? How do you separate them from the "not real black people"? Curious minds want to know.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  
    • MoonLoon:

      Dude, all I'm saying is IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. By real black people, I refer to people who take offense at being told to leave the store because they're black. If you're half or quarter or 16/32nd black and you don't take offense then not only are you not really a black person, you're not human.

    • 1 year ago
  • satan_lucifer
    • 0
      satan_lucifer  
    • serenden68:

      Here, Here! Racism will always be an issue as long as one person brings it up. If you peel everybody's skins off, then what difference would the color make? The only thing that different between two human beings is their experiences. When the world finally wakes up from religion to realize that people are what everyone thought god was and lets go of all of the intangible crap,
      The world will be a much better place. Most of the indifference in the world is derived from religious teachings. People just don't see it...SAD..........

      S.

    • 1 year ago
  • serenden68
    • 0
      serenden68  
    • JonRaymond:

      @jon
      and what im saying is if you keep letting insignificant bullshit bother you-you will be pissed off for the rest of your life... i am a real black person as much as im a real hispanic person and native american person, but none of those races matter.. the one thing that does matter is who i am as a person not as a race... and if you stop paying attention to color then why the hell would a dumbass comment like the one made in walmart bother you?

      its stupid to get mad at someones words, especially if its not detrimental to your life. havn't you ever heard the saying, "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me"?

      if you let people words dictate your actions your like a puppet moving at the will of a persons word.

      and sorry if im not a real black person for not wanting to be pissed of for the rest of my life because of others stupid actions. you need to honestly grow up and think about things that really matter... bullshit like color doesn't

      @satan
      and religion is a touchy ass subject for me... i honestly dont know what to think with regards to religion. so im going to leave that point alone. but it is true that religion has been the cause of many conflicts throughout history. shit slavery started because of the whole Kane and Able thing.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
  • desertcat
    • 0
      desertcat  

    • With the system in reach of anyone it would be wrong to blame WalMart. You have to look at the area and how diverse the area is. Its probably a Sarah Palin stronghold and one of her teabaggers going covert. Sounds like one of them since whenever interview they cannot explain their position just know what they know. we must also remember that a country divided by race benefits only one group and that's the repugs. The rich don't want to share and the poor have nothing to share. They know they next revolution will be between the haves and have nots and the have nots will not only be united in poverty but in color, race and religion. Not only do we have to teach our kids tolerance towards others and act what we preach but we also have to teach them to deal with the mentality of the teabaggers and such.

    • 1 year ago
  • satan_lucifer
    • -1
      satan_lucifer  
    • desertcat:

      I HOPE THAT NO ONE WILL ACTUALLY TAKE HER SERIOUSLY, NOT BECAUSE SHE'S A WOMAN BUT BECAUSE SHE CAN'T HELP AND DOESN'T HAVE THE PERSPECTIVE OR
      SKILLS. SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING SPECIAL IN ALASKA JUST AS ARNOLD HASN'T DONE ANYTHING SPECIAL IN CALIFORNIA. NICE PEOPLE BUT NOT SUITED FOR THE TASK AT HAND......ACTORS AND TV PERSONALITIES DO NOT MAKE GOOD PUBLIC LEADERS!

      BROKEN, BROKEN, BROKEN......

      S.

    • 1 year ago
  • desertcat
    • 0
      desertcat  
    • satan_lucifer:

      They have already taken her seriously. I live in repug middle America small town. During the Bush admin over 70% of homes were foreclosed on, noone can sell their house (mine been on the market for over 8 years) and who is to blame?????Obama and the liberals wanting to turn this country into a socialist state. My town has under 300 people and 80% of the households are collecting food stamps, help with utilities and other aid. But it had nothing to do with Bush, the repugs are still the vast majority and knowing this area will remain so. Sarah talks like them appeals to their heart. These people are not use to being a one car family, no vacations and having to borrow a friends boat to go fishing. Someone has to be take the blame and Obama the poster boy with Sarah as the girl scout. How do you counter someone who won't see the forest for the trees?

    • 1 year ago
  • lordsbassman
  • remanns
  • dariusvons
  • remanns
    • +2
      remanns  

    • Could have been worse; "All overweight people,.please leave the building,....you know who you are". Talk about making people self conscious.

    • 1 year ago
  • KSirys
  • dariusvons
  • KSirys
  • dariusvons
    • 0
      dariusvons  
    • KSirys:

      oh hell no, we boycott walmart. not because of this sort of thing however but rather we're 'buy local' kinda people and the few things we can't buy local we try to do without.

    • 1 year ago
  • Se7nDwellr
  • satan_lucifer
    • 0
      satan_lucifer  

    • Once again, an idiot drives human relations back 200 years. Sometimes I can't stand to be a white person because of it. I hope all of the persuasions interact and there is only one persuasion left! And you self absorbed, weak minded, insecure morons will find a way to persecute each other over that too.......... SAD!

    • 1 year ago
  • dariusvons
  • diode
  • flyingkick
  • Atalanda_Cameron
  • larrysnotes
  • unclepete813
    • -2
      unclepete813  

    • FK walmart and the person who post this crap and make excuse for oh it probally was a customer or something, stop trying to think what somebody did. they did it and thats all to it. Now live up to what you say or what you do so when you get beat down the ass whipping on nobody but you. Now,, Walmart is and elites company they are part of the illuminati they run small business out of business and then pay people with can goods. Cause the employess dont get money. so fuck walmart, these bastards do to mom & pop stores what the USA does to small countries. destroy them and take all their goods. fuck the racist company i piss on the products and shit on the floor cause they want see my black ass no more. lmao

    • 1 year ago
  • corndog67
  • diode
  • unclepete813
  • MoonLoon
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  
    • unclepete813:

      oh no it's the internet tough guy, watch out, he'll blow your mind just trying to understand him. yes, cuss and insult people, that's a great way to get your point across.

      go back to school.

    • 1 year ago
  • flyingkick
    • 0
      flyingkick  
    • diode:

      See, this is what I'm talking about.
      Some people, like UnclePete, are incapable of understanding that racial humor towards Blacks doesn't equal racism. Satire is lost on them.
      I think it's just a generation gap thing. He's not not used to people making fun of Black people for the pure sake of comedy and not racism.

    • 1 year ago
  • flyingkick
  • Xenzaka
  • thedirtman
  • larrysnotes
  • diode
  • dariusvons
  • larrysnotes
  • larrysnotes
    • -1
      larrysnotes  

    • Im surprised current has not removed this post. Talk shit about a Jew and they let it stand, talk shit about whites, still it stands. Talk shit about a commie, get kicked off. I had sex with Al and its O.K., Sorry Janforgore I did him first. Al you owe L 200,000 better pay soon old man.

    • 1 year ago
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  

    • Oh its so funny huh? Well try "all Jews must leave" in a Wall Street office building and see what happens to you. And you would deserve it too.
      After Hitler, they don't ignore mean stuff like that. Law suit would be what you would encounter.
      Anyone who does that type of thing is a jerk or worse.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • kitteneater
  • flyingkick
    • +3
      flyingkick  

    • Funny if it was an SNL skit or Family Guy joke, but racial humor tends to come off as just plain racist in real life situations like a Wal-Mart intercom.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • Atalanda_Cameron
  • diode
    • +1
      diode  
    • Atalanda_Cameron:

      sorry, i just had the thought of orange people, and a few jokes came to mind. dang citrus folk!

      i agree with you, as was my intent with the post, and 90% of current took it lightly as well, some people just don't get it however.

    • 1 year ago
  • flyingkick
    • 0
      flyingkick  
    • diode:

      It's not hypocritical, it's just the context of the situation.

      Don't get me wrong, if I was there I would have laughed. But, not everyone understands satire. I can see why the joke was misinterpreted as racist.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • Found_Avenue
  • lordsbassman
  • Still_Falling
    • +1
      Still_Falling  

    • Seeing that I am biracial.
      The Jamaican half of me is laughing riotously and finds this prank funny in a amateurish, 7th grade sort of way.
      While my Colombian half is trying not laugh, as not to offend the Jamaican half.

      Come on people this not that serious ... I know in this age and time, we would like to all politically correct and all - but sometimes we just have to let loose.
      This is one of those times.

      Come on, tell me you haven't pulled some stupid pranks in your lifetime?

    • 1 year ago
  • amandamanda
    • 0
      amandamanda  

    • It was probably a customer that was bored and wanted to stir up some attention. An employee probably wouldn't want to risk losing his job over shit like that. Anything that gets people to boycott Wal-Mart is great in my mind.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamfree
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  

    • What is the point in "boycotting", a small Mom and Pop store? J.J. taught us that lesson. If you are fishing, at least, fish for the big fish! Economics 101 for the Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with principles. Neither does this issue.

    • 1 year ago
  • Bushido
    • +2
      Bushido  

    • If they would have said "all white people" it would have still been hilarious. We are more and more a society of oversensitive pussies.

    • 1 year ago
  • diode
  • dooder
  • shanklinmike
    • +7
      shanklinmike  

    • They're boycotting the store over this?!?!?!? A prank by some unknown customer?!?!?

      What about all the protectionism, tax loopholes, Federal subsidies, eminent domain wrongs, and barriers to entry through tariff legislation that Wal-Mart does? Why do people always ignore this form of consumer slavery?!?!? THAT is why you should boycott Wal-Mart, not because of something they had little control and concern about previous to this incident. What hypocrites.....NOW I'm going to boycott....what a joke. Wal-Mart is not innocent in our society by any stretch, but this is a bit out there to boycott over!

      Peace

    • 1 year ago
  • Eri_Soulja
  • Darevalo
    • +2
      Darevalo  

    • i did that, didnt say all black people leave or nothing, but at target, ralphs, vons... and others.. its so easy to pick up the thing and say what ever you want...
      "MIKE HUNT PLEASE REPORT TO THE FRONT. MIKE HUNT!"
      or
      "CLEAN UP ON ISLE 7!" but in a deep metal guy voice.
      pleople say stupid shit.
      maybe if they paid their workers they would care about stupid shit like this. or would have more respect for their job and the customers that shop there

      i see the humor though... of saying such a blatently racist thing in such a calm collected voice in one of the largest companies on earth... i think its funny. stupid.... but i lawled.

    • 1 year ago
  • MoonLoon
    • -1
      MoonLoon  

    • I fail to see the humor. Of course, unless we want to laugh at the dimwitted morons Wal Mart hires. In that case keep hiring idiots!

    • 1 year ago
  • CalgarC
  • KSirys
  • latinspy
    • latinspy  
    • This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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