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Posted on 10/17/2006 5:15:23 PM PDT by Livin_large
Rose Rock, the mother of comedian Chris Rock, claims she was racially discriminated against when she was seated but ignored for more than a half hour at a Cracker Barrel restaurant along the South Carolina coast. Rock said Tuesday she planned to sue the Lebanon, Tenn.-based company. A Cracker Barrel spokeswoman said the restaurant chain was investigating and taking the complaint "very seriously."
Cracker Barrel has in the past faced numerous lawsuits and a federal inquiry over complaints of refusing to serve black customers, discriminating against minority workers and firing gay employees. The company has taken steps to rebuild its folksy image and reach out to minorities.
Rock, who is from Georgetown, said she and her 21-year-old daughter were the only blacks at the chain's Murrells Inlet restaurant in April. She said when she asked the manager about the delay she was told they could have a free meal.
"He never called over the waitresses and asked, `Why did these people sit here for an hour without service?'" she said. "The only thing he said was we could have a free meal and neither of us wanted to eat."
Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said the company doesn't "tolerate any form of discrimination."
"It has always been a violation of our policies and procedures and it is neither condoned nor allowed," she said. "We do not allow the type of behavior you are describing," Davis said.
Rock said she contacted the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and was told her complaint would be handled, but "nothing ever happened."
The head of the commission, Jesse Washington, said Tuesday that after initial discussions, the complaint was finalized Aug. 7 and his agency also was investigating. He would not comment on the complaint.
"We get thousands of charges coming through here in the course of a year," he said. "It's not out of line _ the time frame on this. It is being investigated and we will be in touch with her when we have a report."
The Rev. Al Sharpton will join Rock on Wednesday in South Carolina to announce that Sharpton's Action Network will finance the planned lawsuit.
"I'm getting reports from all over the country about Cracker Barrel," Sharpton said from New York on Tuesday.
He also said state officials are slow to act on such complaints.
"When people are talking about there is no more discrimination, a lot of it is because they are not following this stuff up," Sharpton said.
Cracker Barrel, established in 1969, operates 547 restaurants in 41 states, according to the company's Web site.
Georgetown is about 60 miles northeast of Charleston.
Can U get me some lawsuit as well?
I'm white but I wonder if I can use this the next time I'm at the DMV. Most of the people there are minorities.
If you could sue over bad restaurant service, I'd be rich.
I'm sure Rev. AL would be glad to work on your behalf.
What a joke, probably mostly blacks working there. Black on black discrimination? Hmmmmm..... yeah, right!
I find it difficult to believe that any business in this day and age would stoop to this behavior. Something fishy here....
looks like cracker barrel did'nt pony up the extortion money to Jessie Jackson
Let's hope there were security cameras.
Why do I suspect that a donation to the Rev. Sharpton from the folks at Cracker Barrel would put a swift halt to all these reports?
And while we're at it "Spic-n-Span" has to go as well.
If so they'll probably claim the cameras were focused on them because they were being profiled.
We waited for over an hour for a waitress to take our order at a Cracker Barrel off of I-40 near Nashville. Then after another 1/2 hour our food still had not arrived so we just got up and left. Stupid to have spent so much time before finally getting fed up.
Well it was a "Cracker" Barrel after all. She should've gone to "Afrobee's" instead.
As a Cracker I am deeply offended by the name Cracker Barrel.
I was at Sonic awhile back. I waited 30 minutes. I got a free burger. Doesn't take much to make me happy:')
As a Cracker I am deeply offended by the name Cracker Barrel.
You beat me to it.
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