A Walgreens spokesperson has spoken out in response to a viral video of a grandmother defending her grandson and his cousin in a recent TikTok. In the video, the children explained that they were attempting to shop at Walgreens. However, they were allegedly wrongfully harassed and racially profiled by an employee.
The viral video was shared on TikTok last week by user @itsss.trayyy. Additionally, the location of the clipβs recording has been landmarked as Chicago. Since last week, the clip has received over 950,00 views and over 8,000 comments.
In the video, a boy is heard explaining that he and his cousin walked into this particular Walgreens to purchase snacks. However, βa ladyβ allegedly told them that if they didnβt leave, she would call the cops on them.
βWho us? They reportedly asked the lady. To which she affirmed, βYes, you guys.β
At this point, an older woman is heard replying to the child. She asks him to show her where the lady is.
As the group enters the store, the boy explains that the woman is toward the back. As the group approaches the counter, the woman is seen to be a store employee and affirms that she is the manager.
βOkay, so whatβs the problem? My grandson came in here to purchase something, and what did you say to him?β the grandmother asked the manager.
The woman then explains that she told the children to purchase their items with her or leave the store. She then added that βa bunch of kidsβ have stolen from the store, and although she βwasnβt assuming it was them,β she told them to grab their stuff or she would βcall the copsβ on them.
βThey have every right to come into this store and purchase what they want without being harassed by you,β the grandmother explained. βWhy would you tell them bring their stuff up here right now and purchase them or leave, and you would call the cops? Why would you call the cops on children when they havenβt done anything to you?β¦ If they were white kids, you wouldnβt do it.
β
The grandmother instructed the woman to apologize to the children.
βI apologize to you guys. Iβm sorry for assuming,β she said to the boys.
After, the grandmother instructed the employee to share the phone number of Walgreenβs corporate office and her direct supervisor.
βYou created the situation by addressing them, and they didnβt do anything to you,β the grandmother continued explaining before telling the woman that she doesnβt need to be a manager.
Before the video concluded, the grandmother explained to the children that they have the right to shop in any store theyβd like without harassment. Additionally, the TikTok user who uploaded the video shared additional words providing more context on the incident.
βMy son and his little cousin went to Walgreens to make a purchase before they could even get in the store good the manager told them to get out or she would call the police on them- (they are 11 and 12 years old, elementary school students) Racial profiling begins at a young age for African Americans β but you wonβt get away with it-
NOT on our WATCH! #FYP #stopracialprofiling#theseareourfutureβ
The Shade Room shared footage of the viral incident this weekend. Since then, social media users have entered the comment section to share unanimous applause for the grandmother.
Instagram user @laurintalese wrote.
βImagine your confidence as a kid if you knew that THIS type of woman had your back. π₯β
βπ₯π₯π₯ grandmother was eloquent, assertive and on point!β
I donβt know who this granny is but she read her like a book as she should. I love to see us standing up for ourselves ππ½
Black Teenage boys need to feel protected! Great job Grandma!
βKeep this energy all lifetime longππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎβ
βI donβt care what ANYONE SAYSβ¦ AUGUST is the new BLACK HISTORY MONTH cuz baaaaaaabyyyyyyyy ??? The way we showing up this month so far!!! ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½βπ½βπ½βπ½βπ½βπ½ ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½β
β@walgreens are yβall investigating this? This manager needs to be investigated for racially profiling black children.β
A petition filed on change.org on August 12 has since called for firing the employee seen in the clip.
βThis petition earnestly urges the prompt dismissal of the Walgreens employee responsible for this racially biased incident, alongside a sincere and public statement of apology from Walgreensβ¦β
According to the website, the petition has garnered 286 signatures, with a goal of reaching 500. Additionally, it has listed the location of the Walgreens store where the incident reportedly occurred, with corporate phone numbers and emails to contact.
At the time of this report, The Shade Roomβs Senior Editor, Jadriena Solomon, reached out to the store identified for comment. However, an employee shared βno commentβ and instructed all phone calls to be directed to the corporate office.
The Shade Roomβs Senior Editor emailed the corporate office for a statement, to which a Walgreens spokesperson named Kris Lathan has responded.
βThis team member has been placed on leave while we investigate the incident. We believe everyone should be welcome and treated with respect at our stores. We take these matters seriously, and our policies strictly prohibit any form of discrimination or racial profiling, and any such incident will not be tolerated.β
Roomies, what do you think about this incident?