On Dec. 28, a Wegmans employee began yelling and threatened to call security on Kristen Nicole Mann, a local artist and author, and her family, according to multiple activist groups.
By Brandon Ng -
Community activists are organizing a protest to be held Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. outside the Johnson City Wegmans in response to the alleged racial profiling of a local Black artist and her family.
The incident occurred on Dec. 28, when Kristen Nicole Mann, a local artist and children’s book author, and her family were confronted by a Wegmans employee in the prepared foods section at the self-checkout line. After attempts to de-escalate, the employee began yelling and threatened to call store security unless Mann left the area, according to an email detailing the incident from Divestment, Accountability and Reinvestment in Our Community (DAROC), a coalition of activist organizations in Broome County.
Mann, who is known for painting the Black Lives Matter mural in Downtown Binghamton in the summer of 2020, recounted the incident in a Facebook Live video. She said that store security attempted to justify the incident by saying that the employee is “always on edge.” Mann added that she sought to de-escalate multiple times.
“As customers and employees became aware of the commotion, Mann and her family reportedly felt thoroughly embarrassed by the unwarranted attention called to them,” DAROC wrote in an email.
An emailed statement from Wegmans mentioned the outpouring of community support for Mann and her family, adding that the company continues to have zero tolerance for racial discrimination.
“We would like to publicly apologize for the harm caused to this family, and anyone else impacted by this incident,” the statement reads. “For privacy reasons we cannot disclose specifics, but we have taken swift and decisive measures to ensure this type of incident will not happen again.”
A flyer announcing the protest called attention to the strained relationship the company has with local communities of color.
“This week, Wegmans’ staff and security profiled and targeted a local Black artist and her family during their weekly shopping trip,” it read. “Join us as we condemn the ongoing pattern of racialized violence perpetrated by Wegmans and local law enforcement.”
In February, law enforcement arrested 15 people at Wegmans during a protest against police brutality. The Johnson City Police Department, Broome County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police arrived and attempted to remove protesters from Wegmans property at the request of store management. The crowd, including a member of the press, was pepper sprayed at the scene.
Earlier this week, in response to backlash from the community, the Bundy Museum of History and Art issued an apology on social media, saying they would work to return a $500 donation from Wegmans, citing harm the company has perpetuated against Binghamton’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color community.
Community activists are calling on Wegmans to publicly apologize for the incident and terminate the employee involved.
“When we look like what we look like, we get profiled all the time,” Mann said. “We weren’t trying to make this a color thing, but that’s what it’s turning into.”
As of Dec. 30, the protest as been canceled after a meeting between the organizers and Wegmans. Wegmans met the demands of the protestors and issued a public apology, according to an email from DAROC.
This is a developing story, and it will be updated if Pipe Dream receives more information.
Editor’s Note (12/29/23): This article has been updated to include a statement from Wegmans representatives.
Editor’s Note (12/30/23): This article has been updated to include the protest cancellation.
