The Rev. Al Sharpton threatened to boycott high-end Barneys New York on Saturday amid racial profiling allegations brought forth by black shoppers in New York City.
"We've gone from stop and frisk to shop and frisk, and we are not going to take it," Sharpton said during a weekly rally at his National Action Network's headquarters in Harlem. "We are not going to live in a town where our money is considered suspect and everyone else's money is respected."
Joining Sharpton at the rally, Kirsten John Foy with National Action Network said the civil rights activist would be meeting with Barneys officials Tuesday to discuss the allegations. Sharpton called for a boycott of the store if the luxury retailer's response is inadequate.
Black shoppers in New York City appear to be coming out of the woodwork this week to say they were racially profiled at retail stores — two at Barneys New York — and the most recent allegation involves an actor for the popular HBO show Treme at Macy's flagship store.
Actor Robert Brown told the NY Daily News he was "paraded" through Macy's back in June in handcuffs and detained for an hour in a holding cell in the store while an employee called police because the store suspected the credit card he was using to purchase sunglasses was not legitimate.
Macy's issued a statement: "We are investigating the alleged claims, as we were just made aware of this lawsuit. We do not comment on matters in litigation." The retailer said it is investigating the charges.
