Latest news with #Anti-Black
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Despicable moment ramen business owner chases man down the street demanding he tip for meal
The owner of an Illinois ramen restaurant was caught on video chasing a customer down the street demanding they leave a tip for their $20 meal. The confrontation, which has since gone viral on social media and triggered official investigations, unfolded on the quiet streets outside Table to Stix, in downtown Evanston. The ramen shop is well reviewed and known for its steamy bowls and casual vibe. But on Saturday afternoon, the store's frontage became the backdrop for an ugly outburst in which the owner, Kenny Chou, lost control. The video saw Chou follow a customer into the street then berate the man who paid for his $19.89 meal with a $20 bill - but left no additional tip. 'I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what them and you paid so what are you talking about,' the customer shot back during the heated exchange. As the minutes ticked by, tensions only increased as Chou intimidatingly closely followed the man. 'What are you going to do?' the man asked Chou repeatedly, warning that the video would 'blow up on social media.' 'What do you want? I paid for my food!' the man tells Chou who continues to trail him. 'Get the f*** back! Call 911 if you need to settle something,' he urges. 'I paid for my food. I paid you $20. I am not legally required to give you a tip. Get back bro,' the man warned. Chou lost his cool. 'Shut your goddam f****** mouth. How are my staff supposed to make money? I'll slap the s*** out of you,' he threatened. Throughout, the customer seemed to show remarkable restraint as he urged Chou to step back and chill out. 'What are you doing? Bro, what are you on? Get back!' Watching the footage later, Chou said he felt a wave of humiliation and guilt crash over him. 'Bringing shame to my wife as a husband, as an owner. At the same time to my mom and dad,' Chou said. The backlash was swift and brutal with accusations of racial discrimination as the customer involved is black. Messages scrawled in chalk soon appeared outside Table to Stix: 'Anti-Black, Do Not Eat Here.' Review site Yelp was also forced to slap an 'unusual activity alert' on the restaurant's page, freezing reviews as anger mounted. Phone lines were unplugged and social media accounts were deactivated. When asked later why he didn't tip, the customer made no apologies stating online, 'Oh, I just didn't want to.' Chou is now desperate to make amends and says he sent the customer's brother home with his favorite order, a handwritten apology, and a heartfelt offer: 'My door is open for you, man. You know, come on by anytime,' he said to CBS News. The incident has gone far beyond a simple spat. The Evanston Police Department confirmed a report for harassment was filed and an investigation is now underway. At a public Equity and Empowerment Commission meeting in Evanston, members debated what punishment, if any, could be levied against Chou. Meanwhile, activists and black community leaders have organized a boycott and staged a protest outside Table to Stix. They are demanding that Chou not merely apologize through media channels, but show up in person to publicly apologize to the black community. Sitting quietly inside his battered business as the dinner rush began Thursday evening, Chou reflected on the chaos his actions had unleashed. A Korean immigrant who came to America at the age of 5, Chou said he never imagined that his pursuit of the American dream would end in public disgrace. For ten years, he and his wife had worked to build Table to Stix into a neighborhood fixture but it now appears the future of their restaurant and their reputation hangs by a thread. One councilmember, Devon Reid, suggested one way forward might be for the city of Evanston to abolish the controversial tipped wage system altogether, proposing a service fee model to eliminate the sometimes awkward expectations around gratuities.
CBC
23-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Historic Black community in N.S. plans restoration of cemetery
Anti-Black racism grant awarded to Beechville United Baptist Church Residents of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Beechville are planning work to revitalize the local cemetery after being awarded a grant from the Halifax Regional Municipality. The $10,000 grant has been awarded to the Beechville United Baptist Church under the Anti-Black Racism Grants program. The initiative, which was unveiled last year, is aimed at helping Black communities deal with systemic and historical challenges. In recommending the funds, the city said the project will help preserve the stories and contributions of Beechville's ancestors, while fostering a "sense of pride, respect, and connection for families, visitors, and the broader community." "It would be very important to our community that the gravesite is looking proper," said Iona Duncan-States, who is a member of the church cemetery committee. "The way it should be looking, for our loved ones." The 85-year-old African Nova Scotian is also a deacon with the church and her mother, father, sister and nephew are buried in the cemetery. She visits the graves every Sunday. She said she has noticed deteriorating conditions. "The ground is sinking in spots," she said. "So we do need to do a total renovation of the gravesite. It's really in desperate need of repair." Many members of the Halifax-area community that was founded in 1813 have family buried there, so it means a lot there is now money to restore the grounds. Part of the grant will go toward helping identify some of the unmarked graves at the site. A number of white crosses have fallen down at the church that has been a cornerstone of the community for nearly 200 years. "To walk through the cemetery and see unmarked graves is kind of upsetting to me because there's still somebody there," said Josh Crawford, who is the funeral director in the community and cemetery assistant chair. "And so we're trying to figure out ways of recognizing who is in those plots." Attempts will be made to identify some of the graves through archival research and by talking to residents. The eventual plan is to create a historical map of the grounds. "And just placing a marker there to show that … somebody is there," Crawford said. It's expected work will begin within the next six months.
