wfn.org | Methodists question Waffle House, Dillard's racial policies

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

April 2, 2001 News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.     10-21-31-71B{155}

By Tom McAnally*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Alleged racial incidents involving Dillard's
Department Stores and a Waffle House restaurant caught the attention of
representatives from four Methodist denominations as they met for their
semi-annual meeting March 28-31.

The 36-member commission convened in Nashville a few days after CBS' "60
Minutes" ran a story saying that security officers employed by Dillard's,
one of America's largest department store chains, have engaged in racial
profiling and have used excessive force.

And, as commission members from around the country settled into their hotel,
a local TV station carried a story about four black men who said they were
refused service twice at a Waffle House restaurant in nearby Tullahoma,
Tenn.  

On their third attempt to be admitted to the restaurant, one of the men
videotaped an employee telling them the building was closed for maintenance.
On video, the employee shut and locked the glass door and attached a sign
that said,  "Closed due to maintenance." Meanwhile, other customers could be
seen in the business eating. The four Tullahoma residents subsequently filed
a $230 million lawsuit against Waffle House, charging discrimination.  

The 36-member Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation involves three
historically black denominations -- African Methodist Episcopal (AME),
African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) and Christian Methodist Episcopal
(CME) -- and the predominantly white United Methodist Church (UMC).
Together, the four denominations have more than 12 million members. All
share a common heritage in the Methodist movement, launched in the 18th
century by Church of England clergymen John and Charles Wesley, and the
Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in America in 1784.  

Since 1985, a commission has been working on ways the four denominations can
cooperate in such areas as higher education and curriculum development.
Another commission looking at possible union for the four denominations was
created in 1996. The two groups were combined last year by action of the top
legislative bodies of the four churches.  

Presiding over the second meeting of the new combined group in Nashville was
Bishop Clarence Carr, AMEZ bishop from St. Louis.

Much of the discussion at the Nashville meeting centered on efforts by the
predominantly white United Methodist Church to repent for its history of
racism. Carr, a guest speaker during an "Act of Repentance for
Reconciliation" service at the United Methodist General Conference in May,
told the delegates their sincerity would be evidenced by their actions, not
just their words. As the need to speak out against discrimination was
discussed, commission members began to report on recent media reports. 

In a letter to Waffle House owners, commission members said the alleged
incident in Tullahoma "illustrates that the ghost of Jim Crow still haunts
us in the 21st century." After exploring the incident, the commission
concluded, "We feel compelled to voice our condemnation of any violation of
basic human rights." Further, they said, any act of discrimination that
dehumanizes and demeans any person based on race is "contrary to the will of
God."  

Commission members called on Methodist members "to refuse to patronize all
Waffle House restaurants until they are assured that all patrons are treated
with equal dignity and respect."

A statement released by Waffle House headquarters said the franchisee of the
Tullahoma location had told them the restaurant had been experiencing
"numerous crowd behavior incidents requiring police intervention during late
night weekend hours. The large crowds generated inside and around the
restaurant were causing public safety issues, and local authorities advised
closing for a few hours for cleaning." 

The statement declared that the Waffle House system "does not tolerate
discrimination of any kind." The company said it "proactively educates and
trains employees on our diversity and discrimination policies and shares
these with our customers on the 'House Rules' poster in each unit."

"As a system of 1,300-plus units, Waffle House is committed to diversity, as
evident in the 'melting pot' of customers and associates found in our units
...," the company said.  

In their letter to Dillard's corporate offices, commission members asked for
assurances that the alleged incidents reported by "60 Minutes" "do not and
will not represent the policies and procedures of your company." They served
notice that they will be monitoring the standards of Dillard's in the future
and asked the company to inform them of "correctional measures" that are
planned.

In response, Paul J. Schroeder Jr., general counsel for Dillard's,
headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., issued a written statement calling the
"60 Minutes" program "one-sided" and "factually misleading."  

"Of all the security options we have reviewed and are reviewing, we believe
that certified police officers have received professional training to
resolve conflict peacefully; to prevent violence - not to incite it. Those
instances of injury or loss of life (on which '60 Minutes' exclusively
focused) are extremely rare, isolated and regrettable. Yet, there are
countless examples in stores nationwide where police intervention has saved
lives and protected innocent people. That's the real story."  

Full texts of the two letters follow:

March 31, 2001
(To Waffle House owners/managers)

We the members of the Pan-Methodist Commission on Cooperation and Union,
meeting in Nashville, Tenn., March 28-31, 2001, representing more than 12
million members of the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist
Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal and United Methodist churches,
are deeply disturbed by reports of alleged racial incidents at the Waffle
House restaurant in Tullahoma, Tenn.

After inquiry, we feel compelled to voice our condemnation of any violation
of basic human rights. We consider any act of discrimination that
dehumanizes and demeans any person based on race to be contrary to the will
of God. This alleged incident illustrates that the ghost of Jim Crow still
haunts us in the 21st century.

We as people called Methodist abhor discrimination of any kind and are
committed to seek justice. We call upon the Waffle House restaurant to
ensure that no prospective patrons are refused service based on their race.
We call upon our individual members of the Methodist churches to refuse to
patronize all Waffle House restaurants until they are assured that all
patrons are treated with equal dignity and respect.   

We await your response informing us of the corrective measures that you will
take.

Sincerely,

Bishop Clarence Carr, Chairman
Pan-Methodist Commission on Cooperation and Union

March 31, 2001
(To Dillard's owners/managers)

The Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union, representing more
than 12 million members of four Methodist denominations (African Methodist
Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, and the United Methodist Church) are disturbed
by alleged acts of discrimination by Dillard's Department Store as reported
in the media. We ask for your guarantee that such alleged incidents do not
and will not represent the policies and procedures of your company.

We will be monitoring your standards to see whether or not other action may
be required in the future.  We await your response informing us of
corrective measures that you will take.

Sincerely,

Bishop Clarence Carr, Chairman
Pan-Methodist Commission on Cooperation and Union

# # #

*McAnally is director of United Methodist News Service, the official news
agency of the denomination with offices in Nashville, Washington and New
York.  

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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