Baggy-pantsed students think fast, get action
1 bar will apologize -- did rest of Rush Street learn anything?
It's been decades since I've partied on Rush Street, but I'm not surprised that the bars are still discriminating against black men.
While on a trip to Chicago from St. Louis a couple of weeks ago, six Washington University students were barred from a Rush Street bar because they were wearing "baggy pants."
"We couldn't believe what happened," said Fernando Cutz, a Washington U. student who was at the Original Mother's tavern that night.
"It was not something that we expected in Chicago in 2009."
There was no way for these visitors to know that the Rush Street bars operate like they have a quota when it comes to the number of black men that can be in their establishments.
Unless the men play for the Bears or the Bulls, six young black men hanging out together aren't likely to have an easy time getting into a bar like Mother's.
To keep them out, bouncers routinely tell black male patrons that they are wearing the wrong hat, or the wrong shirt or the wrong pants.
What they're really being told is that they are the wrong color.
What happened to the Washington University students happened to my own nephew at a different Rush Street bar.
When his female cousins insisted that they go to Rush Street to party, the women schooled him on what he could and could not wear -- no caps, and no clothing with insignia that might be interpreted as a gang sign.
Unfortunately, they didn't know about the baggy pants.
After the group waited in line to enter the trendy Rush Street club, my nephew was told he could not come in because of his baggy pants.
Because my nephew had to stand outside the bar, he saw other non-black males wearing the same kind of baggy jeans he was wearing, and they were allowed in the club.
But how do you argue that point with a beefy bouncer?
After the Washington U. students were told their clothes violated the "baggy pants" code, one of the black students exchanged pants with a white student. That white student, who was thinner, got into the club wearing pants that were even baggier.
Even so, the Washington U. students didn't win the argument.
But they were quick thinkers, and had each other's backs.
The students turned to the media and to social networks to get the word out. They also recruited students at Chicago colleges to join their cause.
It was absolutely brilliant. In no time, the story became national news.
Lonnie Nasatir, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League heard about the incident in a roundabout way.
"One of the students that goes to Wash U. is from Houston, Texas. Their father is on the board at ADL," Nasatir said.
"Dad you've got to hear this story," the student told the father.'"
The organization ended up sending Mother's a strongly worded letter, which was also signed by the Chicago Urban League:
"If these allegations are true, they suggest that Mother's is using its dress code as a pretext for discriminating against patrons on the basis of race," the civil rights organizations said.
Under the threat of a lawsuit, the management company for Mother's has agreed to put its managers through diversity and sensitivity training.
The Washington U. student body also is planning a "massive demonstration against discrimination," Cutz told me.
"Mother's management will be present and will speak at the rally. In addition, they will be issuing private apologizes to the six students and a public apology to the senior class," Cutz said.
Mothers' has agreed to host four fund-raisers. Proceeds will benefit a "social justice or diversity fund" of the students' choice.
It is disappointing that Mayor Daley hasn't blown a gasket about this.
After all, as a city that tried to host the 2016 Olympics, we look like jerks.
Washington University Chancellor, Mark S. Wrighton, even challenged the mayor to "take the steps necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not occur to future visitors."
For now, at least one Rush Street bar has gotten the message that the discrimination will no longer be tolerated.
Hopefully, the others will follow.