Black Activist Says Portland Bakery Refuses To Serve Her

One Black activist spoke has offered a cautionary tale about what she said was racist treatment at a bakery in Portland, Oregon, last month, according to ABC 30 News.

Lillian Green said she was denied service at the Back to Eden Bakery by an employee who had just helped a group of white women customers, the equity director with the Early Learning Division at the Oregon Department of Education reportedly said in Facebook video that has since been deleted.

She was reportedly in the bakery on May 10 at 9:06 p.m., just six minutes after it had closed. The white customers, who also arrived after the 9 p.m. closing time, were happily helped by the employees, who told them the bakery was closing but they could take their food items to go. Green, however, was not treated with the same respect and was told she couldn’t be served after arriving one minute after the other patrons at the store. The white customers were allowed to even sit and chat for a few minutes.

Back to Eden fired two workers after the racial profiling incident, the bakery detailed in a Facebook post on Saturday). It also announced that it would implement training — the go-to moves in racial profiling cases — requiring employees to undergo anti-racism, diversity and inclusion training with equity educators, the same profession as Green.

It’s important to note that Back To Eden also has a history of claiming to be a progressive establishment. The bakery had reportedly put up “Black Lives Matter” signs and said it was a “safe space” for African-Americans. It also had scheduled a “Brown Hope Reparations Happy Hour,” claiming to support reparations. In addition, it’s previously said it was trying to do business in a “racist city,” recognizing that Portland has not been a friendly place for Blacks. The state’s most populous city is predominantly white and was about 6.3 percent African-American.

Green’s story adds to the collection of #LivingWhileBlack stories shared by African-Americans on social media since two Black men were wrongfully arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks. With stories of racism coming from every corner of the nation, activists have been rising up in resistance.