From The New York Daily News
It was supposed to be a big night for top urban fiction author Teri Woods, who had invited 175 people to party at a trendy SoHo nightclub to celebrate her new book.
But Woods ended up in tears when she found almost her entire guestlist being kept outside Greenhouse’s notorious velvet rope.
Now a $1 billion class-action suit says the partygoers were denied entry because they were black.
“They should have just put up a sign that said, ‘No Coloreds Allowed,’” fumed Kashan Robinson, 39, of the Bronx, one of the plaintiffs. “There was no reason for them to not allow us into that club, except for the color of our skin.”
Club owner Barry Mullineaux declined to discuss what had happened to Woods’ party beyond calling charges of racism “all pretty much bogus.”
Woods has text messages she says he sent that night showing he was barring people based on appearance. “Everybody looking at me like this ur people Barry???” read a text message. “I couldn’t let in 300lb girls.”
at 12:04 pm
I agree with Sweettyeshia, Ramses_NY, and Kountry_Mayne….
I personally, am tired of our people referring to everything that deals with drugs and death amongst our people as the “GAME”. Theres nothing fun about all that goes on, what these street people do does not require skill or endurance. Can we be successful without exploiting our stereotypes, the media does it enough…
but a billion 4 real? we all deserve a bill if thats the case lol
at 11:46 am
1 billion ???
at 9:33 pm
Co-signing Sweettyeshia. Take those pictures down, of the real literary greats, all of which who’ve never been read by woods’ fans. With that said, its just as wrong to turn people away because of their weight or their color. A billion dollors is reaching. Next time rent out a black club, the 4040, keep it in the community.
at 5:45 pm
racism exist,,, from all types of races,towards all types of races,,,,white, black, asian.latino,,etc etc etc,,,,whos trying to be fooling who,,,we all have,sum predjudice,,in some form,,towards,,others,,be it ,whatever
at 1:12 pm
First off this story about Terri Woods should not have those pictures of other great famous black authors under it because she does not now have any works that is kinda sorta in the ranks of Alice Walker or Paul Lawrence Dumbar.
Now that I got that off my chest this is a club that has a dress code and a reputation to up hold so if your guest were dressed like the average nigga and were fat then the job of the doorman was to turn them away. Her guest list can never over power the by laws of the club. She had an contract with the owner to have her party there which he did allow her to have knowing that the author was black but they decided to draw the line right through the apperance of her guest because apparently not everyone is suing that came to the party so in essence the club did let in some black guest. She is out of her mind to think that they will even get a quarter of that money. I am in no way condoning racism in any way but I can really and truely say that she made a mistake in suing.What she should have done was go public with the fact that she felt this club had discriminated against her and urged people to stop going to the club. Now this looks like a publicity stunt to raise more awareness of her new book and to get a nice chunk of change if the book doesn’t do well.
at 1:00 pm
Maybe…just maybe…white people today wouldn’t be so racist towards black people if we weren’t seen on the news every night doing stupid, smash and grab, N!gga type sh!t! Don’t get it wrong; I’m not excusing racism. But really, white people aint our biggest problem. WE are our biggest problem!
If ‘they’ don’t want your business, DON’T GIVE IT TO THEM! Its really simple: Spend your money where its appreciated.
We are constantly seeking validation from white people. Frankly, I’m tired of it. Money, not race, is the great equalizer in America. If you got money, white people will kiss your a$$ till it turns a different color. Thats what Terri Woods gets for thinking that white club was more exclusive than a black or latino owned venue. NOW she wants to go over to Flex’s party. Shoulda had it there in the 1st place! Fvck the Greenhouse.
at 12:15 pm
black people and there slave mentality.if whitey dont want you in your club be strong and build your own fu cking club.
stop cryng and open your own shyt
at 12:00 pm
shaggakhan2009:
I agree with just about everything that you said but she DID have a guest list.
Now see, this is what Black folks dont get. Judging from the last line of your comment, perhaps she should have never had her event there because now she was left without her celebration. Some Black folks are not going to like what I am about to say but WHY are Black people always DYING to be a part of something they will NEVER allow you to be a part of?
You know I live in LA and NO they DON’T like to let us in. THEY DO keep us out… SO DON’T support the establishment WE NEED OUR OWN. Don’t book your affairs at an establishment that doesn’t let your Black @zz in but two at a time! It doesn’t make sense!
These are the trickled down effects of not keeping and maintaining our OWN communities and our OWN businesses.
I hope she wins her case. I believe they might have some repercussions if they did not honor a contract. Maybe not a billion dollars, but she may see some recourse. She could argue it caused damage to her earnings and interfered with marketing and promotions- the costs of that etc. Lets see what happens.
at 11:51 am
Im still trippin OFF the FACT that-SOME PEOPLE want to SAY or THINK its OK for the OWNER or GUARD at the door-to TURN AWAY A PERSON or PERSONS WHO IS PHAT or TO THERE TASTE WAS UGLY or EVEN THERE CLOTHES IS NOT WHAT THEY WOULD SAY IS GOOD ENOUGH TO GET IN THE CLUB,BAR,etc-based ONLY on there OPINION. THATS NOT WHAT THE LAW STATES.IN THIS CASE-ITS CALLED DISCRIMINATION,FROM WHAT I READ. AND IN ANY CASE OWNERS GOT TO HAVE POSTED A DRESS CODE TO WHERE YOU CAN READ IT-BEFORE YOU ENTER IN A CLUB,BAR,ETC…ALSO THE WEIGHT OF HOW MUCH WEIGH HAS TO BE POSTED ALSO…TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT AFTER THE CODE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE-YOU CAN NOT LET ANYONE ELSE IN…NOMATTER IF THEY ARE PHAT OR NOT. AND ITS NO LAW THAT SUPPORT-ANY CLUB,BAR,ETC- WHO TURN PEOPLE AWAY FOR THE COLOR OF THERE SKIN OR IF THEY ARE UGLY OR NOT. AND ITS NOT A CODE TO SUPPORT IT EITHER. NOW THATS BULLSH*T. YOU CAN GO LOOK IT UP IF YOU WANT AND YOU WANT SEE NOTHING THERE. AS FOR DRESS CODES THEY MUST BE POSTED AND WITHIN REASON. NOT AS TO SAY YOUR PHAT AND THAT DRESS DONT LOOK GOOD ON YOU-SO YOU CAN’T GET IN-THATS DISCRIMINATION. SHE GOT A GOOD CASE IN COURT-AS TOO,THE $1BILL-I DO NOT BELIEVE SHE WILL GET THAT MUCH…AS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WAS TURNED AWAY-IF I WAS YOU I WOULD SUE,ALSO. DONT LET ANYONE TURN YOU AWAY BECAUSE THEY DONT THINK YOUR PRETTY ENOUGH,SLIM ENOUGH,NOR WHITE OR LIGHT ENOUGH TO GET IN ANY PLACE. THAT IS TRULY DISCRIMINATION AND IT PISS ME OFF-BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE REALLY DO LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO ARE PHAT LIKE ITS A CRIME AND ITS NOT. SOME PEOPLE GO THREW PROBLEMS,HAVE KIDS,STRESS,AND ALOT MORE THAT-WE SLIM OR SMALLER PEOPLE DONT KNOW ABOUT AND YOU LOL AND NAME CALLING DO NOT HELP. I WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET NOBODY PICK ON ANYONE WHO IS PHAT-AND IF IT’S MY FAMILY YOUR GOING TO GET THE FU*K BEAT OUT YOUR A$$…TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN YOU SEE THE NEXT PHAT PERSON OR THING YOU WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH. AND THATS JUST HOW WE ROLL ON THINGS. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE A PERSON OR THING DON’T THROW STONES AT THEM…KEEP YOUR A$$ MOVING. AND JUST LIKE AT THIS CLUB-IM SURE IT WAS MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE-SO THEREFOR-IT WAS OVER 300PDS…SO THE PHAT AND SO CALLED UGLY PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LET IN. THAT JUST HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT-THE COLOR OF MONEY IS GREEN NOT BLACK AND IT CAN MAKE YOUR POCKETS FAT AND MAKE SOME PEOPLE UGLY BY BEING AN A$$-LIKE THE OWNER IN THIS CASE.
at 11:30 am
Dopegurlmagic: Just saw your comment, and you’re misinformed. I applaud you for telling people to know the law & all…but Black people have had the right to vote since the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870. It guarantees all citizens the right to vote, “no matter what race, color, or condition of previous servitude”. In ‘64, the Voting Rights Act was passed to combat Jim Crow laws, that Whites were using to prohibit Blacks in the South from voting. It let them send out federal registrars to get people registered, because local gov’t refused to. The 19th Amendment has to do with women being afforded the right to vote, because the law initially said “21 or older, and male”. Our voting rights aren’t being taken away, because they’re protected by the Constitution…that myth stating otherwise has already been disproven.
at 10:52 am
All I can say is “Try and prove it”. It is a “private” club and I think he can deny people based on whatever he likes. This happens all the time in the popular “gotta get in to be cool” clubs of New York and L.A.
If you don’t look right to the doorman (”thug in a suit”) then you don’t get in.
But if she legally contracted with the club for a “private” party and the contract included a list of attendees and their guest(s), she has a case. But if she left the guest list as a “whoever shows up at da door” kind of thing, she could have a problem proving racism. I know this establishment and am suprised she chose it in the first place.
at 10:16 am
@Dopegurlmagic17.. I would think Terri Woods or someone with her would know that it isnt illegal. Its just about making people aware and putting it out there in the spot light so that something like this wont continue to happen. The lawsuit can be validated depending on if the club is considered private and have standing memberships or if they are open to the public and depending on if they turn people around on a daily basis. Since you have the answer to everything when situations like this happen whe should just bow our heads read more and keep it moving? I need to know for future reference?
at 9:25 am
uh did u know there isn’t a law against racism??? it is a privately owned club he can legally discriminate if he wants to… it doesn’t make it right but she aint going to get any money from dis… maybe her damn deposit lol… yal don’t read and do not know the law if u did u would know what he is doing is legal… and yal should read da 19th amendment to the constitution in entirety did u know congress has to vote every 8 years for black people to have to right to vote??? know the law, read your rights and keep it moving
at 9:22 am
I can recall being denied into a BLACK nightclub for looking “too street” (some clubs enforce dress-codes due to unwanted drama) It’s kinda IRONIC that these clubs will play songs performed by famous STREET-RAPPERS but will not let in guys who DRESS like one….I’ve seen guys (in suits) come in clubs to stir up trouble; Is it possible some places judge BOOKS by their COVERS?