The 10 MSU students involved in the racial profiling case against the Deb Shop in Meridian Mall have a lot of guts.
While shopping for Fake the Funk 11 outfits in the mall on Oct. 23, store officials approached them and requested they leave the store. The students said they believe they were asked to leave based on their race, but store and mall officials say they were removed for reasons ranging from loitering to creating a disturbance to messing up the store.
Deb Stores, Inc. has said shop managers have reserved the right to expel large groups on the basis of behavior, not skin color or age. All 10 students are black.
This case is the students’ word against that of the store’s. Without a full set of details, it’s hard to say who - if anyone - is truly at fault. Deb is a store that caters to teen-agers and young people, and it takes a lot to get kicked out of the store, or the mall in general.
But the Lansing branch of the American Civil Liberties Union is searching for an attorney to represent the students and is beginning its own investigation into the incident.
A meeting with store and mall officials is being organized by students, ACLU representatives, campus minority group leaders and administrators to demand a public apology, diversity training and written information about store and mall policies. If the demands are not met or at least discussed, legal action may be set into motion.
This is a hard case to judge. There may not have been any ill-will involved, but perceived discrimination is just as bad as direct discrimination. There is no reason anyone should feel they’re being attacked based on their race or any other characteristic. And even if accidental, there must be some reason why they might feel that way.
We hope this incident is used to raise awareness of what can happen when there appears to be discrimination. People will be able to better examine what causes someone to feel discriminated against and what can be done to avoid these situations.
Maybe this can even lead to more education on the topic for those who need to learn about the many kinds of discrimination out there.
As for the students, they have a lot of courage to stand up for their beliefs. Even if it’s ruled they weren’t actually discriminated against, it’s good they are brave enough to make their concerns heard.
People should take a cue from these students and make a point to speak up when something bothers them. Without communication, we will not be able to make positive changes in our society and work to eliminate discrimination and the things that cause it.
