Two Black children said they were racially profiled while shopping at a Walgreens and alleged a worker threatened to call the cops on them, according to a video.
In the viral video posted by @itsss.trayyy on TikTok, one of the kids said that he and his cousin were grabbing a snack when a worker spoke out to them.
“This lady to the side she said if you guys don’t leave, I’m calling the cops,” he explained.
The 11 and 12 years-old along with their grandmother, re-enter the store, and she confronts the manager. One of the kids recorded the entire interaction.
“My grandson came in here to purchase something, and what did you say to him?” the grandmother asked.
The manager responded, “I said he can come and purchase it right here with me or he can leave because I’ve had a bunch of kids come in and steal.”
The worker explained that she didn’t assume the boys were stealing but wanted to let them know she would check out their items at her register or she would contact law enforcement. The grandmother immediately checked her response.
“Let me tell you something. No. That’s not it,” the grandmother said. “They have every right to come into the store and purchase what they want without being harassed by you.”
She continued: “Why would you call the cops on children when they haven’t done anything to you? If they were white kids, you wouldn’t do it.”
The grandmother then tells the manager to apologize to her grandchildren for making the accusation and requests a number of the store’s corporate office to file a report.
When the manager says she doesn’t have the corporate number on hand, the grandmother asks for her supervisor’s number. There’s a brief back-and-forth between the grandmother and the manager before she heads to the back of the store to get the contact information.
While the group waits for the manager to return, the grandmother explains to the kids that “they have every right” to shop at the establishment. The clip stops before the manager comes back.
In the video’s caption, which has nearly 600,000 views, the TikToker says that one of the boys is her son.
“Racial profiling begins at a young age for African Americans — but you won’t get away with it — NOT on our WATCH,” the caption said.
The specific Walgreens location was not disclosed, but social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, said it is located in Illinois. Atlanta Black Star reached out to Walgreens for comment.
