It happened a few days ago but I can’t stop feeling bad about it. For context, Nordstrom is a mid-range department store, not as high-end as Neiman Marcus, higher-end than Macy’s. They are known for excellent customer service. I wanted to buy two shower gels which are maybe $50 apiece of a brand that has a designated sales specialist. I approached the display shelf and the saleswoman body-blocked me as I started to lean over to look at the bottles. She moved to less than a foot in front of my face. I stood up and said, “Excuse me, but I am trying to avoid getting Covid,” and she replied, “Yeah, good luck with that.” She backed up a step so I could see which fragrances I wanted, and when I told her, she reached for the purse- size bottles instead of the full-size. Once I told her I wanted the full-size bottles, her demeanor seemed to shift. The encounter felt like she thought I was going to steal something. Then like it was a waste of her time until I asked for the full-size bottles.
Her behavior was a not-so-subtle warning to me. One that I didn’t deserve. And it stung.
By saying something here, I hope to acknowledge to those that have had similar experiences, you are not crazy. You did not imagine it.
I am married to a blond-haired, blue-eyed man who has never for a moment felt the humiliation of being treated as less-than. He tells me I make a big deal of these incidents because he doesn’t know how it feels, having never been profiled. It hurts. A lot. And as long as white people keep playing it down as we are “too sensitive,” it will continue. I, for one, am sick of it.
