After Jay Z’s Barneys Decision, Mega Retailers Unveil Big NY Plan

With multiple racial profiling cases against the high-end retailer Barney's still mounting this week a handful of popular stores are expected to unite this week in New York to discuss big topics including racial profiling. This is on the heels of Jay Z deciding to stick with Barney's which caused mixed reactions from the masses.

Sohh:

According to reports, clothing outlets ranging from Lord & Taylor to Barneys New York will meet Friday (November 22) to discuss big topics including racial profiling.

Major retailers will gather Nov. 22 at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church at 7 West 55th Street here to discuss such topics as racial profiling, loss prevention and store operations. The forum will be cohosted by the Retail Council of New York State and the New York Metropolitan Retailing Association. Retailers such as Macy’s Inc., Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus Group, Lord & Taylor, Saks Inc. and Bloomingale’s confirmed to WWD they are planning to send representatives to the meeting, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A spokeswoman for Neiman’s said Thursday of the upcoming meeting, “People are coming from New York and Dallas. We believe in the goals that they are trying to achieve.” (WWD)

Heading into the weekend, Young Hov issued a public statement to the masses regarding his decision to stay with Barneys.

“In the past several weeks two separate investigations were launched as a result of the wrongful detention of Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips. My team has been privy to the status of the Barneys third party consultant investigation. In continuing our research, we also contacted the New York State Attorney General’s office for the status of their investigation into both Barneys and Macy’s. Those findings are not yet available. While I await the findings of the Attorney General’s Office, I have agreed to move forward with the launch of BNY SCC collection under the condition that I have a leadership role and seat on a council specifically convened to deal with the issue of racial profiling. I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue. The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem. I will not leave the outcome to others. I will take this into my own hands with full power to recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on.” (Life & Times)

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Freeway Rick Says Talk Is Cheap Jay Z: ‘It’s not enough to comment about Barneys’

by Stereo Williams

The controversy surrounding high-end department store Barneys, racial profiling and hip-hop mogul Jay Z continues to spark conversation and commentary. Following accusations that Barneys profiles and harasses young African American patrons of its Manhattan location, many called for Jay to pull out of his planned partnership with the store. While advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton have defended Jay, former drug kingpin “Freeway” Rick Ross was asked for his take and offered a different perspective on Jay’s recent statement regarding his business dealings with Barney’s.

“I read the Jay Z comments on Barneys asking why he’s being judged, you’re being judged because that’s what comes with basing your career off the D-boy game,” Rick told AllHipHop. “The game is give and take with those around you. It’s not enough to comment about Barneys profiling when you sell products to the people possibly targeted. People that look like people you grew up with, and that are in your family. We know the reality of this country in regard to race. You stand up for them immediately when it comes to something as sensitive as racial profiling.” 

Ross added that rappers have to acknowledge that many of the brands they champion in their music don’t value their fans as a demographic. 

“You have to have context of American history that this profiling is happening and be honest, and demand the people you partner with to be of the type that treat your people fairly,” he explained. “This is the big problem of the high-end luxury these rappers talk about and have our children hooked on for status. They are not in our interest as a community, and often, as seen in the profiling case, they look down upon us as customers.”

Source: RollingOut.com

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