A Georgia grocery store is under fire after creating a Black History Month display, including the clinched Black power fist, terms like “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” along with a life-size cut out of Snoop Dogg and his 19 Crimes wine brand.
Community stakeholders say it is disgraceful, offensive, and stereotypical.
One of the loudest voices was Johnnie Jones, a former president of the local NAACP and history-making pilot. He called the display “offensive.”
“Proud of drinking wine? No. We’re proud of the Tuskegee Airmen whose shoulders I stand on,” said Jones. “We need to be thirsty for knowledge,” WSB-TV reports him as saying.
Others like Michael Drummond, a customer at the Kroger on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree City, said, “It’s very negative,” adding, “they really promoting alcohol.”
After getting complaints about the display, Kroger opted to take down what they thought was a celebratory tribute to Blackness, and issued this statement,
“Kroger is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all we do. Our intentions are never meant to be offensive.”
Not everyone was upset.
Pam Lewis, also a customer, said, “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with showing a display of Snoop. I mean, if you want to drink wine whether it’s Black History Month or not it shouldn’t really make any difference,” she said.
Snoop Dogg was not connected to this promotion; he was only featured in the display.
