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Subject: COPELAND'S
Ladies and Gentleman,
Please be aware. I am a God fearing African - American 21 year old
woman who is sending this message inall sincerity
and honesty.
This weekend a few friends and myself decided to take friends
from out of town to Copeland's for dinner.
We explained to our guest
how nice the restaurant was and how we were sure they would enjoy the food.
Our party consisted of five African American males and four
African American females from theages of 21 to
29.
We entered Copeland's and told the hostess we
would like a table for a party of ten. The young lady paused, gave us an odd glare and
then stated she would "look". She returned approximately 15 minutes
later to direct us to our table. It was a long booth in the rear of the restaurant
next to the kitchen.
When we asked if it were possible we could sit at
a large round table the higher level of the reastaraunt, we were told
our party was too big.
We ignored this and decided to sit at the booth
anyway.
Approximately two minutes after we all sat and
opened our menus one of the gentelman
in our party was asked to remove his cap. Since
we were in a restaurant he understood and did so.
Approximately a minute later the
manager returns and in a very rude manner tells
another gentleman in our party he has to sit upright. Please keep in mind
this young man was not laid out in the booth, but was merely leaning on
his elbow looking at the menu. We all paused and looked at the manager in
disbelief. My friend to whom the manager was speaking, also in disbelief
asked the manager "What did you say?". The manager
then very harshly told my friend that if he did not sit up Copeland's would not serve
anyone at our table. When my friend refused the manager told all of us to "get out!"
We remained seated and I, a college educated woman, [EDITOR'S NOTE: WHAT, EDUCATION
MAKES YOU EXEMPT FROM DEALING WITH THE IGNORANT? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.] asked in
an exteremely professional manner for the manager
to please show us in his policy where this "no slouching rule" was stated. In disgust
he walked away.
When he returned he had a police officer with him that
explained he was forced to show us out of the restaurant. He also explained
if we refused to leave we would be placed under arrest. Once we were out
of the restaraunt the officer explained to us what happened inside was
extremely odd, and that he had never had to ask anyone to leave for
slouching, but because he was hired for security at Copeland's he had
no choice but to ask us to leave. He also suggested we take this up as a
civil matter, which we are definitely in the process of doing.
I usually do not send messages that need to be forwarded on the
internet but I am requesting that you send this out to as many people as
possible. What happened to us was embarassing, injust and out and out
racist. There is no question in mind or my friends minds that what
happened to us was because of our skin color. As much as I once liked
Copeland's, I will never eat there again. I hope you are also outraged
by what happened to us and will do thesame. Thank you for reading this
and please pass this on immediately.
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