Rev. Al Sharpton has declared yet another high-profile case of racial discrimination. This time he's pointing his finger at himself.
The incident happened late Thursday night at a grocery store just a few miles from Sharpton's home.
"That's what surprised me the most, that it happened so close to home," Sharpton said of the incident.
As Sharpton prepared to checkout, he noticed the long lines at all registers except the express lanes, where two self-checkout lanes had no waiting. Sharpton counted what he originally thought were ten items in his cart, but when approached the register, he noticed he actually had eleven, putting him one over the limit. He immediately did what he thought was the honest thing, and got into line behind three white people at a regular checkout.
Sharpton did not realize that he was a victim of racial discrimination until after his first item was scanned, nearly five minutes after he got in line.
"It hit quickly, and it hurt. I knew that I went to that lane because I was black," Sharpton told reporters.
Sharpton feels that if he had been white, then he would have allowed himself the extra item, especially since there was no wait.
Sharpton claims that the reason for discrimination was actually threefold.
"I think that because it was night, it was the self-checkout, and because there were white people in another line waiting that I made myself get behind them. Being black, I forced myself to wait behind the white people because that's what I've always had to do. I think I was also worried that, being black, I would probably steal from the self-checkout, especially because it was night, and that is when most black people commit crimes."
It is unclear at this time the damages that Sharpton is claiming in his suit against himself, nor is it clear which side the NAACP is taking on the issue. Rumor has it that Sharpton plans to settle outside of court for fear that the trial might be heard unfairly for obvious racial reasons.
Other sources claims that Sharpton is going to counter sue for defamation of character.
