valerie posada
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IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE ZERO STARS I WOULD ...
While at the bar, I was simply standing and waiting because a friend was in the process of buying me a drink. The bartender approached in an unnecessarily aggressive manner, demanding to know why we were standing at the bar. I calmly explained that someone was purchasing me a drink, yet her tone and demeanor felt hostile from the start. I even remarked to her that she was being too aggressive, as it was clear her approach toward me was not friendly or professional.
Following that exchange, I decided to grab a bottle of water from the bar area and informed her that I would be paying for it. Instead of handling the situation with the professionalism expected of a hospitality worker, she escalated it beyond reason. To my shock and complete offense, she told security that I was "acting too Black" and requested that I be escorted out. This statement and action are outright racist, discriminatory, and degrading. To imply that my behavior -- which was calm, respectful, and within reason -- was unacceptable simply because she chose to label it as "too Black" is blatant racial profiling. This type of racially charged language is demeaning, humiliating, and deeply inappropriate. Not only did it cause me to feel ostracized and ridiculed in front of others, but it also placed me in an unsafe and unfair situation by wrongfully involving security.
What makes this even more disappointing is the fact this your establishment is known to have a majority of Black patrons who regularly attend and support your business. For one of your employees to weaponize race in this way, especially in a space where Black customers are central to the environment, is beyond offensive -- it is a betrayal of trust, a misuse of authority, and a serious example of discriminatory misconduct.