Marcus Bradley has worked for Lowe’s Home Improvement in Danville, Virginia, for almost 11 years as a deliveryman. But he got a rude shock last week because of a customer’s request and the store manager’s agreement with the customer. It turns out that the customer did not want any Blacks to make a delivery to her house. According to Bradley, he was en route to make the delivery, “Then I got a phone call telling me to bring the delivery back. Saying that I couldn’t do the delivery. I asked him why I couldn’t do it and he said because you’re black and they don’t want you at the house.”
Bradley’s White co-worker, Alex Brooks, was equally shocked when they got back to the store and his delivery partner was replaced by a White worker. “To me, it just ain’t right for a business that we work at to go on with the woman’s wishes,” stated Brooks who has worked with Bradley for 11 years. Brooks refused to make the delivery because of their supervisor’s decision.
When the local ABC news affiliate asked the unidentified customer if she made the request not to send a Black delivery person, she replied, “I got a right to have whatever I want and that’s it .I don’t feel bad about nothing.”
The corporate headquarters for Lowe’s issued the following statement: “Diversity and inclusion is a core value at Lowe’s. The situation brought to our attention was troubling and an investigation was immediately undertaken. Under no circumstances should a discriminatory delivery request be honored as it is inconsistent with our diversity and inclusion core values and the request should have been refused.
“The investigation has concluded and the individuals involved are no longer with company.”
Since the incident last week, the store manager has been terminated and Marcus Bradley is back on the job.
