Downtown Sports Bar accused of racial discrimination

A Raleigh man said he was refused entrance and then assaulted by employees of The Downtown Sports Bar, located at 410 Glenwood Ave., the morning of Sunday, June 30 because of his race.

Raleigh native and recent Morehouse College graduate Jonathan Wall said he was enjoying a night downtown with a friend when he was initially refused entrance to the bar because he was not a member. After eventually gaining entrance, he said the bartender approached him and told him to buy a drink or get out of the bar. Wall said he refused to buy a drink and was waiting for a friend to come back from the restroom before leaving the establishment when a bartender got physical, roughly escorting him out.

Wall and Alicia Vick, his attorney, said the bar employees' behavior was clearly discriminatory, as other patrons were allowed entrance without presenting member IDs, and employees did not confront white patrons without drinks.

?As I?ve talked to my friends and others about this incident, I?ve realized I?m the not the first to speak out about this treatment; I?m just the first person who has been listened to," Wall said at a June 22 press conference held June 22 at the Capitol building. ?I want what we have right now?a dialog about racial discrimination in the 21st century and what we can do to solve it both here and throughout the nation and world.?

The Downtown Sports Bar has issued a written statement saying Wall was asked to leave because he was not a member or guest.

?Mr. Wall was not roughed up or improperly treated. Mr. Wall was not the subject of racial discrimination,? the statement said.

Vick said there was no evidence that the bar was, in fact, a private club until shortly before Wall's press conference. At that time, Downtown Sports Bar owner Tom Murphy said the establishment has roughly 7,500 members, which includes all the bar?s Facebook and email contacts.

According to the city of Raleigh's business licensing office, the city does not certify clubs as private or public.

"In Raleigh, businesses do not have to deal with the city to designate themselves as a private or public club," James Brown, senior account receivable specialist for Raleigh's business license office, said. "We did not know of the issue until we saw the WRAL report."

Vick remains convinced the incident was inspired out of racial hate.

?The facts as we know them show that some members of our community have crossed the line from making minorities simply feel unwanted to clearly and unequivocally showing that certain individuals are not wanted or valued because of the color of their skin,? Vick said during the press conference.

While Vick said a lawsuit is ?not out of the realm of possibility,? Wall and others are organizing a rally Saturday to protest the bar.

Wall thanked his supporters on Facebook June 30.

?You all have no idea how impactful your kind words of encouragement have been," Walls said. "It means a lot to know that I have such great and widespread support moving forward."

Wall?s message was first posted online as a letter last week and gained momentum through social media sites. The case has since gained national attention after Wall appeared in a CNN segment Monday morning.?

Source: http://www.technicianonline.com/news/downtown-sports-bar-accused-of-racial-discrimination-1.2745750

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