The Soma Store that my wife and I had POC concerns about made contact with her two weeks ago. They invited her to return and to meet with the young lady who treated us professionally and respectfully. We appreciate the gesture, but we have not returned and are unsure if we will. The corporate office also contacted her and offered appealing discounts, but the experience has still left a bad feeling in our minds. I wondered how many others have been silent about their own experiences. It was never about the discounts. My wife enjoyed the products and the quality. She was already taking advantage of the discounted prices. It was more about being ignored and being mistreated for being a particular color.
I never intended to have the corporate office impose penalties on individuals whose means of earning an honest living. It’s about putting aside racial stereotypes and mindsets, especially when dealing with the public. It’s not okay to behave foolishly and be ignorant of the effects the behavior might have on others.
Let’s be courageous enough and have a dialogue about what we seem to misunderstand, clear up those issues, and work towards changing these mindsets. Sometimes, punishment and coercion result in the opposite results. Our communities have enough to deal with as it is. I still believe that with effort, resilience, and understanding, we can accomplish our goals, one issue at a time, in due season.
Hats off to Soma for making the effort. Thank you.
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