Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
<p>A Walgreens spokesperson has spoken out in response to a viral video of a grandmother defending her grandson and his cousin in a recent TikTok. In the video, the children explained that they were attempting to shop at Walgreens. However, they were allegedly wrongfully harassed and racially profiled by an employee.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">RELATED: <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/nashville-walgreens-worker-shoots-pregnant-woman-8-times-after-accusing-her-of-shoplifting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville Walgreens Worker Shoots Pregnant Woman 8 Times After Accusing Her Of Shoplifting</a></h5>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">More Details Regarding The Viral Video Of The Grandmother Defending The Children</h3>
<p>The viral video was shared on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsss.trayyy/video/7265031524511173930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> last week by user @itsss.trayyy. Additionally, the location of the clip&#8217;s recording has been landmarked as Chicago. Since last week, the clip has received over 950,00 views and over 8,000 comments.</p>
<p>In the video, a boy is heard explaining that he and his cousin walked into this particular Walgreens to purchase snacks. However, &#8220;a lady&#8221; allegedly told them that if they didn&#8217;t leave, she would call the cops on them.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Who us? They reportedly asked the lady. To which she affirmed, &#8220;Yes, you guys.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>At this point, an older woman is heard replying to the child. She asks him to show her where the lady is.</p>
<p>As the group enters the store, the boy explains that the woman is toward the back. As the group approaches the counter, the woman is seen to be a store employee and affirms that she is the manager.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Okay, so what&#8217;s the problem? My grandson came in here to purchase something, and what did you say to him?&#8221; the grandmother asked the manager.</p></blockquote>
<p>The woman then explains that she told the children to purchase their items with her or leave the store. She then added that &#8220;a bunch of kids&#8221; have stolen from the store, and although she &#8220;wasn&#8217;t assuming it was them,&#8221; she told them to grab their stuff or she would &#8220;call the cops&#8221; on them.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;They have every right to come into this store and purchase what they want without being harassed by you,&#8221; the grandmother explained. &#8220;Why would you tell them bring their stuff up here right now and purchase them or leave, and you would call the cops? Why would you call the cops on children when they haven&#8217;t done anything to you?&#8230; If they were white kids, you wouldn&#8217;t do it.</p>
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<p>The grandmother instructed the woman to apologize to the children.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I apologize to you guys. I&#8217;m sorry for assuming,&#8221; she said to the boys.</p></blockquote>
<p>After, the grandmother instructed the employee to share the phone number of Walgreen&#8217;s corporate office and her direct supervisor.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;You created the situation by addressing them, and they didn&#8217;t do anything to you,&#8221; the grandmother continued explaining before telling the woman that she doesn&#8217;t need to be a manager.</p></blockquote>
<p>Before the video concluded, the grandmother explained to the children that they have the right to shop in any store they&#8217;d like without harassment. Additionally, the TikTok user who uploaded the video shared additional words providing more context on the incident.</p>
<blockquote><p><span class="tiktok-j2a19r-SpanText efbd9f0">&#8220;My son and his little cousin went to Walgreens to make a purchase before they could even get in the store good the manager told them to get out or she would call the police on them- (they are 11 and 12 years old, elementary school students) </span><span class="tiktok-j2a19r-SpanText efbd9f0">Racial profiling begins at a young age for African Americans &#8211; but you won’t get away with it- </span><br />
<span class="tiktok-j2a19r-SpanText efbd9f0">NOT on our WATCH! </span><strong class="tiktok-1qkxi8e-StrongText ejg0rhn2">#FYP</strong> <strong class="tiktok-1qkxi8e-StrongText ejg0rhn2">#stopracialprofiling</strong><strong class="tiktok-1qkxi8e-StrongText ejg0rhn2">#theseareourfuture</strong>&#8220;</p></blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Social Media Users Share Astounding Applause For The Grandmother</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv20bT3PNYI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&;igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Shade Room</a> shared footage of the viral incident this weekend. Since then, social media users have entered the comment section to share unanimous applause for the grandmother.</p>
<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s x1q0g3np xqjyukv x1qjc9v5 x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1">
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<p><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _aacx _aad7 _aade" dir="auto">Instagram user @laurintalese wrote.</span></p>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">&#8220;Imagine your confidence as a kid if you knew that THIS type of woman had your back. ð¥&#8221;</span></div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s x1q0g3np xqjyukv x1qjc9v5 x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1">
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1n2onr6 x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s x1q0g3np xqjyukv x6s0dn4 x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _aacx _aad7 _aade" dir="auto">Instagram user @empressak added.</span></div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">&#8220;ð¥ð¥ð¥ grandmother was eloquent, assertive and on point!&#8221;</span></div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s x1q0g3np xqjyukv x1qjc9v5 x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1">
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1n2onr6 x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s x1q0g3np xqjyukv x6s0dn4 x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _aacx _aad7 _aade" dir="auto">While user @ms.foxy911 wrote.</span></div>
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<blockquote><p>I don’t know who this granny is but she read her like a book as she should. I love to see us standing up for ourselves ðð½</p></blockquote>
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<div>Instagram user @zakeyafoster added.</div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">Black Teenage boys need to feel protected! Great job Grandma!</span></div>
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<div>Yandy Smith stepped into The Shade Room&#8217;s comment section to share a strong sentiment.</div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">&#8220;Keep this energy all lifetime longðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾ðð¾&#8221;</span></div>
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<div>While Instagram user @denycelawton similarly echoed.</div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">&#8220;I don’t care what ANYONE SAYS… AUGUST is the new BLACK HISTORY MONTH cuz baaaaaaabyyyyyyyy ??? The way we showing up this month so far!!! ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½âð½âð½âð½âð½âð½ ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½ðð½&#8221;</span></div>
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<div>One Instagram user, @<span class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _aacx _aad7 _aade" dir="auto">deshaunabarber,</span> even tagged Walgreens, asking about their response to the incident.</div>
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<div class="x9f619 xjbqb8w x78zum5 x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh x1uhb9sk x1plvlek xryxfnj x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xdt5ytf xqjyukv x1cy8zhl x1oa3qoh x1nhvcw1"><span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xvs91rp xo1l8bm x5n08af x10wh9bi x1wdrske x8viiok x18hxmgj" dir="auto">&#8220;<a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz notranslate _a6hd" tabindex="0" role="link" href="https://www.instagram.com/walgreens/">@walgreens</a> are y’all investigating this? This manager needs to be investigated for racially profiling black children.&#8221;</span></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Walgreens Responds To The Alleged Racial Profiling Incident</h3>
<p>A petition <a href="https://www.change.org/p/fire-walgreens-manager-for-racial-profiling?original_footer_petition_id=35756494&;algorithm=promoted&;source_location=petition_footer&;grid_position=2&;pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAFR%2FNgIAAAAAZNgoxZgrpS5lOTQzYjVhZg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed on change.org</a> on August 12 has since called for firing the employee seen in the clip.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;This petition earnestly urges the prompt dismissal of the Walgreens employee responsible for this racially biased incident, alongside a sincere and public statement of apology from Walgreens&#8230;&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/fire-walgreens-manager-for-racial-profiling?original_footer_petition_id=35756494&;algorithm=promoted&;source_location=petition_footer&;grid_position=2&;pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAFR%2FNgIAAAAAZNgoxZgrpS5lOTQzYjVhZg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, the petition has garnered 286 signatures, with a goal of reaching 500. Additionally, it has listed the location of the Walgreens store where the incident reportedly occurred, with corporate phone numbers and emails to contact.</p>
<p>At the time of this report, <em>The Shade Room&#8217;s</em> Senior Editor, Jadriena Solomon, reached out to the store identified for comment. However, an employee shared &#8220;no comment&#8221; and instructed all phone calls to be directed to the corporate office.</p>
<p><em>The Shade Room&#8217;s</em> Senior Editor emailed the corporate office for a statement, to which a Walgreens spokesperson named Kris Lathan has responded.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;This team member has been placed on leave while we investigate the incident. We believe everyone should be welcome and treated with respect at our stores. We take these matters seriously, and our policies strictly prohibit any form of discrimination or racial profiling, and any such incident will not be tolerated.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Roomies, what do you think about this incident?</p>
 <div class="wpra-reactions-wrap wpra-plugin-container" style="justify-content: center;;"> <div class="wpra-reactions-container" data-ver="1.3.10" data-post_id="140835" data-show_count="true" data-enable_share="onclick" data-behavior="regular" data-animation="true" data-share_url="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/grandmother-defends-children-walgreens-employee-racially-profiled/" data-secure="6042cd2d6f"> <div class="wpra-call-to-action" style="color: #000000;font-size: 25px;font-weight: 600;">What Do You Think Roomies?</div> <div class="wpra-reactions wpra-static-emojis size-medium" style="border-color: #ffffff;border-width: 0px;border-radius: 50px;border-style: solid;background: #ffffff;">					<div class="emoji-8 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="8"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-10 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="10"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-4 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="4"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-5 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="5"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-2 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="2"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-7 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="7"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-12 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="12"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div> </div> <div class="wpra-share-wrap wpra-share-buttons-bordered" style="">				 </div> <!-- end of share buttons -->			 </div> <!-- end of reactions container --> </div> <!-- end of reactions wrap -->		
