A couple of months ago Barney’s was under fire after a young black male was wrongfully racially profiled while purchasing a $300 belt. Soon after, more and more stories of Barney’s racist acts began to surface, including a similar incident of a young woman wanting to purchase a Celine bag.
Jay Z, who had just recently inked a collaborative deal to have a new fashion line & fragrance sold exclusively at Barneys, had quickly become a target of the community. People wanted to know WHY was Jay Z still pushing forward with his deal and how come he hasn’t spoken up.
Although Jay Z still chose to continue his push with Barney’s New York, he recently sat down with the retail giant’s internal advisory council to discuss the recent incidents. Jay Z, knowing that his name alone was going to attract urban shoppers, gave the council his input surrounding racial profiling. He also was involved in creating new guidelines for the way the retailer interacts with the New York Police Department.
Though I can’t afford a single thing in Jay Z’s line at Barney’s, the same people who will buy a $300 belt or $1200 Celine bag will definitely head to the store to purchase something he was involved in. It’s very important that Barney’s understands that and realizes that you can’t call the police on every black kid with a debit card.
