The issues with Flight and its sister restaurants bubbled to the surface this week when former employees blew up their spot on social media. They pulled the covers back on antebellum attitudes and worst practices, sparking outrage and creating shockwaves that reverberated from downtown to Germantown.
I mean we know this stuff happens. But we didnโt KNOW-KNOW. It was appalling to see it big and bold in print and firsthand.
Flight is not new to these allegations. It first came to my attention in this very newspaper when Roquita Williams wrote about it (July 2011). Havenโt been since.
To my recollection, I have only had two negative experiences here in Memphis that were very clearly and saliently race-related. Honestly, I still frequent those establishments. Only because it wasnโt the company culture, it was the individual. Every visit before that, or after, has been a positive. However, all of this brings up the issues of imbalance, misperceptions and the pressure to represent the whole.
We all know that โKarenโ will turn your place out. But she is still handled with kid gloves. Sheโs very obviously treated gingerly because of the skin sheโs in. Servers, both Black and White, ask yourselves why.
Then thereโs the vicious cycle. Waiters assume Black patrons donโt tip then proceed to provide bad service then get tipped below standard if at all then continue spreading the โsee I told yaโ false narrative.
Or conversely, Black patrons receive patently bad service then sometimes feel the pressure to represent the whole and not make a scene or feed the stereotype but donโt feel obligated to reward crappy behavior. Itโs a crisis of conscience. Memphis notoriously has an issue with poor service across the board, but I know that I know that I know that Black patrons get the crap end of the stick.
Now, I can already hear some people screaming respectability politics at the screen!
Nope that ainโt it. Speaking for self, I donโt always have the energy to yield to my โturn upโ spirit. More importantly, I believe in pushing and applying pressure from both sides. I stand firmly on this but thatโs another conversation for another time.
Why is it that only โcertainโ people are worthy of baseline respect? Why is it problematic only if, for instance, I send food back because itโs not what I asked for but not Becky With the Good Hair? Why is it painstaking for servers to be polite/attentive/respectful?
Some of it is poor training and poor management in general. Some of it is flat out bias and a reflexive disdain for Black folks. But lemme help you out real quick:
Per NewsOne as of February 2020, there are nearly 50 million African Americans in the U.S. who collectively spend over $1 trillion per year. Which, per Nielsen, is โon par with many countriesโ gross domestic products.โ Factor in that Memphis proper is almost 70 percent Black.
Let those numbers sizzle in your spirit in addition to the fact that most of us are WIDE AWAKE right now. You donโt want that smoke, whether that be protestors shutting you down (see: Porch & Parlour) or flattening your bottom line.
Moreover, Black folks are inarguably the heart and soul of Memphis and have been. From WC Handy, Memphis Minnie and Robert Church to Al Kapone, Lil Buck and Gina Neely, we are the lifeline and seasoned salt of this city. And the ambassadors to the rest of the world! Otherwise Memphis would be the sleepy soggy saltine by the River.
So, what to do as we slog these micro- and at times macro-aggressions? Again, I donโt believe in kicking up drama, but I DO believe in addressing the issue.
Here are some TIPS you can take to the bank:
Servers/Owners:
- Abide by the golden rule: Treat Others The Way You Want To Be Treated.
- Our hair is our hair. It is NOT unprofessional. And our melanin is poppinโ. Stop putting folks in the back of house.
- Black people are not all the same. Many of us tip and tip well, especially for good service.
- You come with attitude, youโre getting attitude right back. AND NO TIP.
- There is not a more loathsome creature on earth than โKaren.โ Keep that same energy with her.
- If thereโs an issue, simply and politely address us just as you would with โKaren.โ
Patrons:
- Do tip for good service. These folks survive off their tip money.
- Do NOT tip for poor service. You are not obligated to represent the whole. Thatโs too much pressure. That type of person will think what they think anyway.
- Speak up. If you have been objectively discriminated against tell a friend or 10 and the manager. Then body them on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google, etcโฆ.
- Remember that thereโs power in the black dollar. Donโt hesitate to withhold it from places that donโt respect you. Let them feel it in their pockets because thatโs a language they understand.
Timeโs up Flight and every other restaurant that expects Black folks to pay for the pleasure of your disrespect. (Cue: โYou about to lose yo jobโ video.)
