Hip-hop mogul Jay Z has come under fire from critics due to his ongoing partnership with high-end retailers Barneys after the company has been accused of harassing and racially profiling young African Americans shopping at their Madison Avenue location. Jay is launching an exclusive holiday collection with the department store and he is being blasted by many for working with a store that has such a heinous reputation.
But Rev. Al Sharpton thinks those who are criticizing Jay Z are confusing the issue. The New York Post reports that Sharpton came to the rapper’s defense while also redirecting criticism back at the store.
“Some people want to make this about Jay Z,” Sharpton said. “No, this is about Barneys first.”
“What is the collusion between the NYPD and your security that four blocks away from the store, the NYPD stops somebody that bought something in your store?” Sharpton added. “We call 911 and can’t get no response. Somebody spent over two grand, and you pick them up four blocks later.” He also announced a planned protest of the store itself. “We’ll march all the way down to your store. I’ll serve turkey right on the corner.”
Kirsten John Foy, president of the Brooklyn chapter of Sharpton’s National Action Network Brooklyn chapter, also added his commentary.“There’s a lot of talk about whether or not Barneys should be doing business with certain black people,” he said. “I think it’s a racist notion to assume that the only black person Barneys does business with is Jay Z. We’re not there to focus on Jay Z. [He] did not write the corporate policy at Barneys. Jay Z is just like every other businessman, he is there to make money and if he is the only black businessman that does business with Barneys — that is the problem. Barneys is what’s on the table right now.”
