Controversy Stirs Over MLK Day Sale in Downtown Duluth
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DULUTH - A sign hanging in the window of Global Village downtown caused an uproar on social media Monday.
The owner said it was in honor of Martin Luther King Day, but others saw it as blatant disrespect.
The sign read, “MLK day sale – 25% off everything black.”
Fox 21 talked to the owner of Global Village and the man who took the original picture and posted it to Facebook.
They did not see eye to eye on the message.
This isn't the first time Global Village has done this type of sale.
It's the fourth year and the owner said they've never had a reaction like this.
"We did this out of admiration and celebration for somebody who did so much for the world, for black culture,” said Global Village proprietress Rachel Mock. “It was done out of honor and we're very sorry that we hurt anybody's feelings."
She compares her MLK sale to any other sale like President’s Day or Columbus Day.
Mock said instead of black Friday, she does a white Friday sale, and every white item in the store is 25 percent off.
"As a member of the black community, and as an individual, it just made me kind of shake my head," said George Ellsworth, an African American Duluth resident.
He snapped a picture of the sign at Global Village and thinks marking down black items is degrading to the black community.
"It's the connotation of the color black in association with this particular observance is just not thoughtful and frankly possibly in poor taste," he said.
Ellsworth said the civil rights movement was not only for the black community, but for all people to remember what Dr. King did for humanity.
Global Village will not host the sale next year.