"All Black People" Asked to Leave S. Jersey Wal-Mart

NBC Philadelphia ^ | 3/17/2010 | beat writer

[Hoodat]

Store is looking at security video to figure out who made the announcement

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 stuneed 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.

[mikelets456]

Maybe someone wanted access to the “Schlitz Malt Liquor” aisle?

[Hacklehead]

Perhaps they are outraged because the announcement said “black” instead of “african American”.

[TankerKC]

Why is that?

It's called a "safe assumption".

[the_devils_advocate_666]

or sabotage by the usual Union Thug suspects who hate WalMart

Talk about people who hate Wal-Mart, just look at the title they choose:
    "All Black People" Asked to Leave S. Jersey Wal-Mart
From the title I'd say you are given the impression this was sanctioned by Wal-Mart and not the idea that it was more likely a prank.

[Maceman]

Walmart intercom pranks are nothing new, as can be readily seen on YouTube.

[Gay State Conservative]

Years ago,at the large Boston hospital where I worked,one of the junior doctors...as a New Year’s Eve prank..convinced the page operator to page “Doctor Dulcolax” to the Emergency Room.Talk about funny!

[DungeonMaster]

..and who is the culprit? Who was responsible for this? Whats his name and where’s his photo?

And was he black?

[freekitty]

I wonder if it was one of lefties did it to stir up trouble?

I wouldn’t be surprised since they are trying their best.

[allmendream]

LOL. Nobody gets a rawer deal out of Americas racial spoils system than a way above average Asian who just isn't exceptional. Your scores would get you into MIT, if you were white. Your scores would get you into Harvard or Yale, if you weren't Asian. The UC system, they don't care that your GPA and SAT scores are above their average for admissions generally, or the average white score, you are just not an exceptional enough student to make it as an Asian. Tough luck genius.

[WayneS]

They were “stuneed” because the matter is so “series”.

In fact, it’s “HUGH”

[Doogle]

...if we never get the answer,we’ll know

[Arthur McGowan]

I’m stuneed! Stuneed!

[Osage Orange]

If it was "All white people must leave the store immediately"

Would anyone be having a cow?

[DungeonMaster]

...if we never get the answer,we’ll know

That seems to the code lately doesn't it. ;-)

[Sloth]

Well if somebody broke into that area of Wal-Mart then I am sure there has to be some law that was broken if they were not an employee.

You don't have to break into anything. There are phones at many cash registers, and placed throughout the store, unmanned. You just have to know the right buttons to push, which is trivially easy to discover (just ask an employee to make a legit-sounding announcement, and watch what they dial).

[RetSignman]

I think that should be ‘stunad’.

[MrB]

The thing is, white people WOULD leave the store...

[iopscusa]

May be some value in the guerilla activist aspect of this prank. I see a future with an ‘All Redheads must Exit’ or ‘All Bald Guys must Exit’ or a ‘No Whitey Day’ or an ‘Illegal Alien Day’.... certainly highlights the stoopidity of the ‘Social Justice/Class Warfare’ mantra!

[PA-RIVER]

Was Mohammed getting ready to blow up the Wallmart?

[Doogle]

..always been