Once upon a time, Jay Z — rap star, media mogul, fashion designer, sports agent, half of probably the most powerful couple in entertainment — was just Shawn Carter, a kid growing up in Brooklyn.
An ambitious kid, he would be quick to tell you, in the Marcy Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Carter had dreams, and some of them involved making money. Those came true beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings.
Against all odds, with God-given talent, Carter soared from urban grit to a stature that somehow defied the gravity of race in the United States. His life story points inspiringly toward the work-in-progress of a post-racial America.
Now, Jay Z has a duty to march the country forward by denouncing racial profiling by his partner in commerce, Barneys, the upscale, chic Madison Ave. emporium where shopping while black is a dangerous proposition.
The Daily News this week highlighted the stories of two young black New Yorkers who made purchases in Barneys, only to be detained by cops on unfounded suspicion of credit card fraud.
According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner John McCarthy, Barneys notified police that 21-year-old Kayla Phillips may have engaged in credit card fraud when she bought a $ 2,500 pricey bag in February. He said that, based on Barneys’ report, four officers stopped and questioned Phillips three blocks from the store.
In April, police brought 19-year-old Trayon Christian to the stationhouse for a similar investigation. McCarthy said Barneys had summoned police to an unrelated larceny complaint when Christian, who had bought a $ 349 belt, came to the cops’ attention.
Barneys has said that no one at the store raised an issue about Christian. McCarthy said the Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating whether or not that is so.
In September, Jay Z announced a partnership with Barneys to sell a (very expensive, of course) limited edition clothing and jewelry line. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds are to go to the Shawn Carter Foundation, a scholarship fund for minority students.
It’s a beautiful notion — except for Barneys’ security practices.
Two words cry out to be heard from Jay Z, two words that would resound powerfully for fairness and teach a lesson that must be learned: Deal off.
http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info/?p=16339
via Great Local News: New York http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info
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