Oprah Winfrey’s discrimination experience in Zurich, Switzerland, is a reminder that the world is not the post-racial neverland that some people thought. Winfrey being racially profiled in a high-end retail store should make us introspective and examine our desire to acquire coveted items, like the Tom Ford Jennifer bag. We purchase these baubles, only increasing the net worth of those who could care less about the economic choke hold individuals put themselves in just to prove they are not part of or are above the “have-nots.”
These coveted designer bags on the arms of African American women are owned by companies that don’t advertise in Ebony or ESSENCE. They don’t make contributions to Spelman College. These companies aren’t inviting multiethnic outlets to their fashion shows and brown faces are rarely seenon their runways.
The retail store in Zurich didn’t just deny Oprah a bag; they denied her the dignity and respect she deserved.
