FUSION Magazine

Racism in Restaurants

by Courtney Swain

“I don’t want that table,” my colleague said to me. “They’re Canadians. You can take them if you want.”

Before I walked up to the new table to great the customers, I wondered briefly at how she’d instantly judged our customers’ nationality, but it didn’t seem like an important issue then. I had so many other things to worry about: what was the special of the day? What wine was I going to recommend? Was the catch of the day salmon or tilapia? I was in Houston; a rookie waitress in a casual fine dining restaurant, and I had no idea that I’d just been introduced to Jim Crow. Read more »