Comments on: Students protest race discrimination at Chicago bar during senior class trip

By: Gabby

Gabby — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:15:24 +0000

Mothers has yet to change their perspective on African Americans. We all decided to go out for a friends graduation last nite. We bar hopped and was having a pretty good time until we went to Mothers. There were 3 females and 3 males in which we all are African American. We were all dressed very nice seeing that we had just left a graduation and Ruth’s Chris a couple of hours ago. One of the males with us had on a nice cardigan with a button up and some white linen shorts. Seeing that he is really tall his shorts are long also. Low and behold there were a problem with his shorts never mind the fact that he had on casual shoes and NOT gym shoes! Long story short they did not allow us entry into the club. We watched closely as a white male tried to gain entry with some shorts on that were LONG but seeing that we were still standing there looking and observing they did not let him in neither. I heard and read the story of the protest and the racism but I did not think I was going to experience it on my own. In no way did we look or are we trouble makers. As much as I am downtown I will never step foot in line for MOTHERS!! I did not appreciate how we were treated it was as if they were just trying to find a reason not to let us in the way they were looking at us! I have been to mothers on various occassions before the protest and did not realize how racist they were and YES they are racist!!!!! I believe their whole attitude is to make African Americans feel real uncomfortable downtown and not wanted but we went to another bar and got it in!!! So mothers I hope they close down or burn down for all I care I just hope people stop with the ignorance and grow up. All the people I know I will make sure I let them know not to step a foot into mothers on division!!

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By: Scotty

Scotty — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:50:06 +0000

For the record, I have worked in niteclub business for 15 years. It would not have made a differnece if all six of them went and put on Armani suits. They would have not been let back in due to security issues. Once a patron is turned away, especially in a group, they tend to get aggitated. No bar or club would want an aggitated GROUP of men drinking alcohol in their establishment. On the otherside of the coin, If a group of girls walked into Mothers and the entire bar was filled with men, doesn’t matter black, white, green whatever, theytwould turn around and leave. There has to be a set amount of individuals, most clubs will not allow a large group of men in at one time, also if there is a line, all of the girls will go in before the guys. thats the nature of the business, it has nothing to do with race, baggy pants or any of that. It has to do with sales.

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By: Blah blah blah

Blah blah blah — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:37:45 +0000

this happens at clubs and bars all over chicago. many of them have dress codes, and if you’re not following them, they have the right to deny you entrance because it is private property.

i went to soundbar with my boyfriend and some friends a few years ago. most of them are white. they have a policy of no gym shoes, sweat pants, ect. allowed. they had on gym shoes so we went back home, changed them, and got in.

once we were inside, we saw plenty of people with gym shoes and a few with sweat pants. did we feel discrimated against? no. we thought the bouncers were just a**holes.

such is life. get used to it. people of every color get discriminated every day. people also get judged by gender, weight, religion, ect. no, it’s not right, but it happens. all you can do is get over it and not let it ruin your day.

if you don’t like the way you’re treated someplace, don’t go back. simple as that.

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By: Drew Nikel

Drew Nikel — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:02:58 +0000

I’m from Houston. If I had a nickel everytime my boys and I went to the club and got turned away… IIts always for some crap too, like having tattoos showing , the wrong clothes, too much jewelry, fake ID (which wasnt fake) etc etc etc… Its Humiliating… but HUMILITY is a PART OF LIFE

Come on now fellas? is it really that crucial? Just get over it… Out of all the things you could protest, your protesting that you cant get into a bar/club? ITS THEIR CLUB! if they dont want you there, they dont want you there… END OF STORY! GO TO THE NEXT CLUB. I’m Sure there are a Gazillion other clubs in Chi town that would love your business…

And why would you protest a bar/club during the day time? NOBODY is going to be there to see it! People party at night time! not the morning… DUH!

I Could understand if they put the Fire hose on them or released some German Sheppards on them…

If they refused your entry in the first place why would you even want to argue to get inside?

But hey… like they say.. “YOU GOT TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY!!!” lol

(I apologize if I broke any policies for posting comments. I love the site, I often read but never post, thanks)

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By: Angie

Angie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:49:20 +0000

Rush street has always been notorious for discrimination even when I was clubbing back in the 80′s.

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By: janet sorensen

janet sorensen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:54:12 +0000

Congratulations, students, on fighting back. Every time we let these *racist* incidents slide, we prolong our long journey to a world without discrimination.

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By: a truthful person

a truthful person — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:26:04 +0000

I forgot to add…. all of this is on video. The students have no case.

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By: a truthful person

a truthful person — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:19:28 +0000

According to the people I have talked to who work on the street. There were around 100 students not 200+, The students were denied and started calling the employees racist, then one of the 6 students who were rejected threw his shoulder into the manager of the bar (battery charges could still be filed) , then a white student asked the manager if they could change clothes and come in, which after the students harassing the staff would never happen. So a white person who was already in the bar changed pants, and walked in the bar that he had already been admitted to. These students are trying to sue the bar and make money off a situation where the staff was just enforcing their dress code that these students blew way out of proportion.

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By: Princeton Hynes

Princeton Hynes — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:13:44 +0000

I don’t really see there being a debate here. We can sit around in our comfortable, warm mindsets and pretend that this wasn’t discrimination, but the fact remains that it was. Facts are facts. I am both delighted and disgusted by the comments I’m viewing right now. Delighted, of course, from the overflow of positivity, but disgusted by the ignorance that has chosen the most inopportune time to rear its head. “Gangstarr,” really? Just to address that ridiculous comment (whose anonymous coward of an author made his or her way onto page 7 of the October 26 StudLife), I would like to know exactly what that kind of attire looks like. Then, I’d like to know how that pertains to the Mother’s incident. If they had been dressed “gangster”–which they weren’t–how does that explain the clothes-switch incongruity? How does it explain that a dress code protects patrons of the bar when the only patrons of the bar (rented out that night) were Wash U students? People who bring up irrelevancies show what little grasp they have of the whole issue, which is one that is too large to be undermined by idiocy. In reality, we have a fight ahead. WE CAN NOT LET THIS GO. I don’t want to be the one that lets the anger reach a fever pitch because we didn’t do something when we had no reason not to. I don’t want to let something go, knowing that if I do, somewhere someone will think that he or she doesn’t have to fight for a belief. I refuse to live in a state of complacency. I support the decisions of my six strong peers, and hope that nobody will be able to convince them that theirs is a fight unimportant.

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By: gloria ann carter

gloria ann carter — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:03:22 +0000

Didn’t you know Chicago,Cleveland,Cincinnata has always been that way,they try to kept it hid, However, certain parts of Ohio is wrost then chicago.it is kkk ,skin head, and everyhing else cults…yes little Cleveland, aka Best location in the nation. I am so sorry for that. we all have to live together and love one another,my white brothers and sisters. it is not about mixing races it about loving one another as GOD loves us. I cry just as hard when I hear that a White solders has been kill. peace2usa

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