Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back?

Jim Crow Laws Circa 1963 Sit-In

When is a book release party not a book release party? When several of the guests are denied entry to said party for no explicable reason. That's what happened to writer Teri Woods a few months ago in August and it's the reason that a trendy NYC club is being slapped with a bias lawsuit to the tune of one billion dollars. Woods is the author of the "urban thrillers" True to The Game, Dutch and most recently Alibi. She booked a party to celebrate the release and signing of the last title at Club Greenhouse in the SoHo area of New York City. Reportedly, some guests came from as far as the state of Virginia only to be snubbed at the door. While the nightclub is already known for it's strict door policy- what happened that night looks mighty peculiar upon further observation.




Check out the entire story here. Now, let me be the first to say that I'm a Black woman and am not an avid fan of her genre. Personally, the stories just don't do it for me. But Woods is not a bestselling author for no good reason. She has garnered quite a following with her hip-hop stylized writing and gripping storytelling. She writes about hustlers and sharp women who are more street than corporate. The woman has an impressive fan base where numbers are concerned. People relate to her fiction. Those same people deserved the chance to show their appreciation and support that night, but were turned away. It may be just a coincidence but I don't really believe in those too much. Maybe they looked a little too thugged out? Or perhaps a few sprinkles here and there would have been cool but an entire sea of Black faces on line or inside is not the look Greenhouse is shooting for. Who knows? I'd love to hear their valid reason for supposedly turning them away indiscriminately.


Either way, Teri claims to have text messages from the club owner questioning her party promoter about the guest list. He didn't want the place to be associated with certain people and apparently 300 lb. women are a no-no. This incident can really be seen from two different perspectives. On one hand, you can say that "doorman discretion" played a huge part in who was not allowed in that night. On the other hand, there's the possibility that racism is alive and well and stinkin' up the joint. It doesn't have to be an overt display. There's more than way to skin a cat to hurt Blacks. One billion sounds ludicrous even to me, but chances are that an out of court settlement is the aim. More than likely, the amount won't be disclosed. I'm not overly concerned with those details. I only hope that justice finds its way into this non-fictional tale of unfairness. If you ask me, this one smacks of modern day bigotry. So Fox News found a smug way to make light of the hurt feelings and what some may consider a violation of civil rights. (Surprise, surprise...) You decide. For the most part, people know when they are not wanted. That doesn't mean they have to take it sitting down.