Consumer racial profiling has 'detrimental effect on communities,' expert says

The video of an Indigenous Regina man being followed by a Giant Tiger employee may havegained national attention, but it's a common situation,says a woman who studies consumer racial profiling.

Last week, 18-year-old Ezekial Bigknife recorded a four-minute, 23-secondvideo of being followed by aloss prevention employee while shopping at Giant Tiger on Avonhurst Drive.

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Bigknife said he filmed the employee after he was followed by the same worker on numerous visits to the store.

"I just wanted to show people what I'm going through. I'm sick of it. I shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable shopping in a public establishment . I shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable and go through that, bottom line," Bigknife told CBC.

Indigenous customer alleges racial profiling after being followed at Giant Tiger

7 years ago

Duration 2:34

An Indigenous customer alleged racial profiling after he says he was repeatedly followed by an employee at a Giant Tiger in Regina. The employee has been suspended after a recording of one incident was posted online

Giant Tiger offered an apologyto Bigknife and, as of Monday, the employee is no longer with the company.

"The events that unfolded at Giant Tiger Regina (Avonhurst)are not a reflection of the Giant Tiger brand, values or commitment to providing exceptional customer service at all times to all customers," the company said in a statement Monday.

"We are currently undergoing a rigorous internal review of our loss prevention processes that involves various levels."

'Being followed, being mistreated'

TomeeElizabethSojourner-Campbell, the founder ofPrevent Consumer Racial Profiling, said the details of Bigknife's video are troubling.

"I didn't see any indication in the video that the individual identifiedthemselvesas store security and that's problematic."

She saidprofiling happens all the time and in more ways than just being tracked in a store.

"I'm sure if you went into most communities where there are racialized and Indigenous folks you would hear someone share a story about being followed, being mistreated and not being served," said Sojourner-Campbell.

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She said businesses should use incidents like these to train employees and develop a strategy to understand the damage that racial profiling causes.

"It has quite a detrimental effect on communities."

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Sojourner-Campbell has a unique perspective on thesubject, having worked as a security guard many years ago. She is working on amaster of laws thesis about consumer racial profiling from a human rights perspective.

She said these cases pop up from time to time and get attention but are forgotten once they fade out of the news cycle.

She saidthousands of people wereable tosee what happened fromBigknife'spoint of view because heput his interaction on social media and didn't just tell friends and family.

"I think [social media is]quite a powerful medium to generate conversation and hold people accountable," said Sojourner-Campbell

'It happens quite often,' says FSIN chief

Racial profiling is something the chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says he's all too familiar with.

"It happens quite often. It happens daily based on the colour of our skin," said FSINChief Bobby Cameron,who shared his own storyof alleged racial profiling earlier this year.

"I want to thank this gentleman for recording because it just proves and showcases that this is unacceptable and has to stop."

Cameron said more needs to be done in terms of cross-cultural training for those in retail, food service and hospitality.

"A lot of our First Nations shop at Giant Tiger, they shop at Wal-Mart, so a big chunk of their revenues come from our First Nations' people."

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