I'm not Sure Which Surprises Me More

[Deleted]

That a supervisor would say and do such things to employees, or that the targeted employees did not report it sooner. I live in the south, so I know how some people are here, but I'm still a bit shocked. As reported by a Memphis, TN news station,

Worker Records 'Racist' Supervisor in Cotton Warehouse

From the article:

Untonio Harris and Marrio Mangrum say their former supervisor was stuck in the past.

“He would be like, ‘You need to think like a white man,” said Mangrum

“He pulled his pants down in front of us and told us to kiss his white tail ,” said Harris.

He said after months of racist comments and feeling powerless, he decided to use his phone as a weapon to fight back.

He recorded his attempt to drink water from a water fountain in the warehouse office.

“Hey!” says the supervisor in the recording.

“What?” asked Harris.

“I need to put a sign here that says `white people only.”

Harris also recorded his attempt to use the microwave.

“I am going to use the microwave,” said Harris in the recording.

“Hell no!” said the supervisor.

“Why can’t I use the microwave, man?”

“Because you are not white.”

“For real?”

“As a white man, we don`t even let Larry use it.”

“Larry has been there 10 to 20 years and he is a black guy also,” Mangrum told WREG.

In the recording, the supervisor also talks about the days when black and whites were kept separate.

“Back then, nobody thought anything about it. Now everybody is made to where to think it’s bad,” says the supervisor in the recording.

Thirty seconds later in the same recording:

“Put your sign on the wall then, because I am feeling to drink it,” said Harris. “What would they do when they catch me drinking your water?”

“That`s when we hang you,” said the supervisor.


I'm pretty much speechless. Wow!

[Deleted]

I couldn't get the link to open. But like you stated, "Wow!"

[Deleted]

link

I tried the link again lone. Hopefully that one will work.

ETA: I checked it and this one works for me. Sorry about that.

[Tennesseer]

I heard it on the news too, Pink Cashmere.  It does not surprise me.  I am not surprised they did not report it sooner.  They were afraid of losing their jobs if they did. 

[moon/Laura]

i fixed the link in the first post as well.

[mmhmm]

Good grief!  That's downright disgusting!  I hope the TV news station doesn't just drop this.  That place needs a good cleaning out!

[Deleted]

Jun 7, 2014 19:04:24 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I heard it on the news too, Pink Cashmere.  It does not surprise me.  I am not surprised they did not report it sooner.  They were afraid of losing their jobs if they did. 

I'm only surprised by the supervisor because he was so blatant in a work environment. I understand the employees' probable fear of repercussions when they need a job and that without proof, it was a he said/she said situation that the supervisor could easily deny. I just can't imagine dealing with that on a constant basis for months and keeping my mouth shut and my hands to myself. And the guy that the supervisor mentioned that's worked there for years without being allowed to drink from the water fountain because he's black...... years?! Really?! 

Thanks moon/Laura for fixing my link.

[Tennesseer]

@pinkcshmere - I do not recall hearing the age of the supervisor but I expect the guy is of the age where hearing comments like he expressed were the norm.  Maybe he grew up in the 50s.  Some folks simply refuse to grow up and out of that nonsense.

Atkinson Cotton Warehouse may be one of those 'good 'ol boy' businesses.

[Deleted]

Tenn, I hadn't seen the story until one of my coworkers mentioned it. Another coworker immediately Googled it and several of us talked about it. We "decided" that the supervisor and at least the long-term employee were probably older, grew up during the time that that kind of behavior was more common. So we came to the same conclusion you did.

[Deleted]

who cares when he grew up....has he not realized that the world has evolved?

[mmhmm]

I grew up in the 50s in Oklahoma.  Yes, there were idiots who behaved that way.  I knew they were idiots and avoided them.  There's no excuse for that kind of behavior I don't care when you were born.