RACIAL PROFILING OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN VETERAN AT MENCHIE’S YOGURT SHOP IN KIRKLAND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

​CONTACT: Gerald Hankerson,  Seattle/King County NAACP
PHONE (206) 249-1786
EMAIL: president@seattlekingcountynaacp.org

RACIAL PROFILING OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN VETERAN AT MENCHIE’S YOGURT SHOP IN KIRKLAND

​Kirkland Police labeled Veteran “unwanted subject” and ordered him to leave

Seattle, WA--On Tuesday, November 13, 2018 an African American Veteran, Byron Ragland, was racially profiled by Menchie’s yogurt shop owner and white employees while working as an advocate of the Courts during a supervised visit between a mother and her 12 year old son. Kirkland Police arrived and asked Mr. Ragland to leave after labeling him an “unwanted subject”.

On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, at 10:00 Seattle/King County NAACP will be joined by Byron Ragland and other Civil Right advocates, including members of WA State Civil Right Coalition to host a press conference/protest outside the Menchie’s yogurt shop 11308 Northeast 124th Street in Kirkland, where the incident occurred.

“From Starbucks in Philadelphia to Menchie’s in Kirkland, Black people are continuously racially profiled across this country where police are called to further facilitate acts of racism at the expense of African-American men and women. The NAACP is reminded of the days in history where blacks were not allowed to sit at counters nor patronize businesses without the risk of being racially profiled simply because they are black. All it takes is for a single white person to claim fear or intimidation before law enforcement become its advocate and further perpetuate injustice.”

“This growing trend must end before it takes root and eventually becomes the norm as it was during the Jim Crow era!”