Maine insurance agency’s racist Juneteenth sign draws backlash
An insurance plan organization in Maine is struggling with on the web backlash over a racist sign taped up in the building’s window in excess of the Juneteenth holiday weekend. “Juneteenth ~it is really no matter what… We’re closed. Appreciate your fried chicken & collard greens,” study the sign, which was viewed in the Harry E. Reed Insurance policies Agency in Millinocket.
Alura Stillwagon, a regional resident, posted a image of the sign Monday on Facebook, creating, “The racism in Millinocket is actual.”
The indicator drew adverse testimonials and very low stars on the agency’s Yelp web site, prompting the business enterprise evaluation internet site to “briefly disabled the capacity to write-up” as it investigates the information, Yelp explained.
“Although racism has no position on Yelp and we unequivocally reject racism or discrimination in any kind, all evaluations on Yelp will have to replicate an real first-hand customer encounter,” the business reported.
Steve Golieb, chair of the Millinocket town council, also tackled the indication in a assertion Tuesday.
“It is deeply saddening, disgraceful and unacceptable for any particular person, business enterprise, or business to endeavor to make gentle of Juneteenth and what it signifies for hundreds of thousands of slaves and their living descendants,” he wrote. “There is no spot in the Town of Millinocket for these types of a blatant disregard of human decency.”
A CBS Information ask for for remark was not returned by the Harry E. Reed Insurance Company.
Juneteenth – which marks the the finish of slavery in the U.S. – officially became a federal holiday break final yr. Several suppliers and workplaces ended up shut Monday in observation of the holiday break.