Many of my close friends and family know me as “Corporate America’s worst nightmare” on social media. While I haven’t had a huge impact, I truly thrive on holding companies accountable on a social platform. Fuck sending an email expressing my feelings where you can easily send an insincere apology or curve me without a reply. I’m going to call you out on Twitter until you respond to me! While I usually use my powers for personal frustration, today I want to call attention to a true injustice. A story hit my news feed yesterday concerning Box House in Seattle.
UPDATE: Omar was NOT the individual using this rhetoric…oh…and Box House Seattle is still a sad excuse of an establishment attempting to discredit Gifted Gab and divert all ownership of inexcusable behavior on behalf of their staff.
If you follow Seattle hip-hop, you know who Gifted Gab is. She’s an incredible artistic talent that truly represents our city. An ode to the golden age of hip-hop and RNB and a voice of the people. She also happens to be black. A beautiful thing to be but somehow Amerikkka still loves to kick around the idea that this skin color makes you less of a human. Even in a city as “progressive” as Seattle, individualistic ideas still exist that somehow allow rhetoric such as the following to be said in public.
Here’s What Happened…
In today’s day and age, NO ONE should talk like this. This man’s parents, significant other, friends, co-workers, passer-byes on the street…someone should have checked this man before he felt okay to use language like this to another person.
What’s even sadder is to see Box House half-assed social media response to this ordeal.
Box House Seattle’s Response To These Claims
Then, they attempted to discredit the claim and call Gab a liar with their second offical response on the matter.
There are literally so many things wrong with this sad ass apology. First of all, they “apologize” and take ownership for one single word. Don’t worry, that word was used “under their breath” and not directly at Gab. Yet, it was about her?
“We are diverse.” That’s GREAT! You’re not racist…you’re diverse. That clears a lot of this up….
In 2017, one social media ‘slip up’ (this isn’t just a ‘slip up’) can cost you your entire business. Damage control is crucial (see Uber, New Balance, Delta Airlines, Home Depot, etc)
In order to fight racism, we need ACCOUNTABILITY! No more “well he’s a good person…he didn’t mean it like that” justifications. This employee needs to be fired. We need to see a public apology, from both the employee and the Box House management. Own your mistake, let us know HOW disgusted you are with this language. How fucking dare you to deflect or attempt to silence and discredit a victim.
In the meantime, we won’t be eating at Box House. Stay classy Seattle.
