(NAME-MCE) Inquiry into racist announcement at Glouco Wal-Mart

[Anselmo Villanueva]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/88337657.html

Inquiry into racist announcement at Glouco Wal-Mart

By Jan Hefle  March 19, 2010  Inquirer Staff Writer  New Jersey

Victoria Arter was stunned by the loudspeaker announcement.

"Attention, Wal-Mart shoppers," she recalled hearing the calm male  voice
begin. "Will all the black people please leave the store. Thank  you."

Her shock turned to anger, Arter said, when more than five awkward  and
frightening minutes elapsed before management at the Wal-Mart
in  Turnersville came on the public address system.

"We waited and waited. Some people just left their carts in disgust  and
said they couldn't believe it," said Arter, an African American  woman who
was shopping at the store on Route 42 when the announcement  was made
shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is cooperating with the Gloucester County  Prosecutor's
Office and Washington Township police, which are  investigating the event as
a possible racial-intimidation crime. More  than 10 African Americans have
signed a complaint with police.

"We're just as appalled by this as anyone," said Ashley Hardie,
a  spokeswoman for the discount-store chain, "and anyone who did this
was  wrong."

Law enforcement is examining surveillance tapes inside the store. But  the
P.A. system can be accessed from 25 telephones in the building, and  not all
are within camera range, said Bernie Weisenfeld, spokesman for  the
prosecutor.

The 24-hour superstore has about 700 employees, many of them  part-time, and
some of the store's phones are accessible to the public,  Weisenfeld said.

Last year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged Sam's  Club,
which is owned by Wal-Mart, with violating federal law by allowing  a work
environment hostile to Latino employees. Since the 1990s, the  EEOC has
filed about 60 additional discrimination actions against  Wal-Mart.

"This is despicable," Phil Warner, coordinator of the NAACP's  chapters in
South Jersey, said of the announcement. "It's 2010, and  we're still facing
those issues."

Warner said he hoped Wal-Mart would take quick action if the
person  responsible for the announcement can be identified.

"Whether it was a prank or whether it was serious, the level
of  insensitivity is apparent and is a reminder there's still a need
for  people to work toward decency and equality," said James E.
Harris,  president of the New Jersey NAACP Conference.

Shortly before police arrived at the Wal-Mart, an assistant
manager  broadcast an apology to customers still in the store.

Arter, an assistant bank manager from Sicklerville who said she
has  frequently shopped at the Wal-Mart, said she was still upset by
Sunday's  events and was boycotting the store.

After it happened, said Arter, 29, the whole store fell quiet. Then  people
got on their cell phones, she said. Soon, customers were asking  the
management for answers.

The incident could have ended much worse, she said.

"It could have led to violence," Arter said. "It could have
triggered  someone who was having a bad day. I don't want to be an
innocent  bystander to something because of someone's not-so-funny joke."