Brooklyn-based entrepreneur, Derick Bowers, has created a Change.org petition urging Jay Z to boycott Barneys New York in the wake of two young black shoppers being racially profiled for purchasing expensive items at the store, BET reports.
Trayon Christian, a 19-year-old college student from Queens, is filing a lawsuit against the department store after being arrested back in April. After purchasing a $349 Ferragamo belt, Christian was stopped by undercover officers that were allegedly called upon by a sales clerk who belived the transaction was fraudulent.
According to Christian's suit, the officers asked the college freshman, "how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt?", handcuffed him and took him to a local precinct, even though he had shown them his receipt, ID and the debit card he used to make the purchase.
Not long after the news about Christian's lawsuit broke, 21-year-old nursing student Kayla Phillips from Brooklyn told the New York Daily News that back in February, she was stopped by police offcers after purchasing a $2,500 Céline bag at Barneys.
After making the purchase, just three blocks away from the store she found herself surrounded by officers.
"There were three men and a woman," she told the Daily News. "Two of them attacked me and pushed me against a wall, and the other two appeared in front of me, blocking the turnstile. They were very rough. They kept asking me what I bought and saying, ‘Show us your card.’ I didn’t know what was happening.”
Phillips is currently seeking a civil rights lawsuit against the NYPD and Barneys in addition to her $5 million notice of claim with New York to sue the NYPD.
Derick Bowers believes that much like Jay Z did when he boycotted (and rapped about) Cristal over racist comments made by Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of producing company Louis Roederer, the rapper should put an end to his partnership with the retail store.
"It's not fair...the two individuals who have had these experiences listen to Jay Z and Beyoncé, who wear designer clothes," Wendy Elie, the mother of Kayla Phillips, told the Daily News. "These kids also like nice things, and they were treated awfully."
According to the Huffington Post, Jay Z is launching a new collection at Barneys on Nov. 20 called "A New York Holiday," a collaboration of limited-edition pieces by top fashion designers, in which 25 percent of the proceeds will go to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.
But despite the charity associated with Jay Z's new project, Bowers insists that the rapper take a stand against racial profiling.
"We can no longer tolerate blatant prejudice and discrimination. It is clear that the minority buying power is devalued by some," he writes in his petition. "We must withdraw support to those who will not support us. I've been a lifelong Jay Z fan. Jay Z is currently in partnership with Barneys New York for the release of his holiday collection....Barneys lacks any connection with the Black and hip hop community. And without his vast wealth and brand power, they would see him the same as they see Trayon Christian. Jay Z should be appalled by Barneys actions, and withdraw all support from them. If he does this, he will send a clear message to all corporations that are likeminded, that this behavior cannot be tolerated any longer."
The petition currently has over 1,900 supporters with 552 more needed.
