City Councilmember Robert Cornegy Jr. (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) and members of Community Board 3 yesterday responded yesterday to a racist Halloween incident at a local high-end coffee shop with a call for increased tolerance and education.
The incident, as KCP first reported and which was picked up nationally, unfolded at The Strand Cafe, 292 Nostrand Avenue, when two members from Community Board 3, Oma Holloway, the co-chair of the board, and the chair of the CB3 Education and Youth Committee, and fellow board member Michael Catlyn witnessed the barista telling trick or treating children of color there was no Halloween candy, and then pulled out a jar of candy when a white mother came in trick or treating with her child.
The incident went viral on social media, receiving hundreds of comments around the country, with some of the more outrageous commentors expressing a mob-type mentality – an increasingly by-product of social media. However, Holloway and others in Bed-Stuy’s leadership – many of whom are raising families in the neighborhood – felt this kind of mentality is not an appropriate response.
Instead, the CB3 leadership team met with Strand Cafe owner Abdul Chowdhury. This included Holloway, Catlyn, CB3’s District Manager Henry Butler, Board Chair Richard Flateau; CB3’s Chair of the Economic Development Committee Tywan Anthony, Co-Chairs Marc Abou-Faisal and Keith Forest.
Chowdhury, a 15-year resident of Brooklyn, reported that he fired the employee responsible for the incident and sincerely apologized for any harm that the incident has caused. In recompense, he agreed to work in concert with CB3 in hiring locally and creating a safe space for all residents to patronize. He also agreed to release a formal apology to Holloway, Catlyn and the community at large.
CB3 also released a statement that as the community continues to change, they remain committed to working with local, state and federal agencies in eradicating unfair and unjust business practices within the Bedford Stuyvesant Corridors.
“The Community Board realizes that the Halloween incident serves as a reminder that some businesses still exhibit discriminatory practices, and we will work with the NYC Human Rights Commission to eradicate such practices and promote cultural sensitivity,” said Flateau.
Cornegy cited the changing gentrifying landscape of Bed-Stuy – historically known as Brooklyn’s Harlem in so far as being a noted African-American neighborhood – and the need for more tolerance in the area moving forward from the incident.
“Our community has undergone some tremendous change in the past few decades. Throughout that time, we have remained committed to preserving and celebrating our district’s identity as a vibrant cultural center for the black community,” said Cornegy.
“Last week’s incident at the Strand Cafe underlines the need to reaffirm our commitment to making District 36 a place that values diversity, tolerance, and love. Anyone who lives in, works in, or visits here is a part of this community, and we all must work together to ensure we treat each other with the respect befitting of this district,” he added.
– Stephen Witt contributed to this story
