An incident that went down at a Smoothie King in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just exposed yet another double standard that Black folks know all too well. After two employees were fired for refusing service to customers wearing MAGA gear, the internet suddenly erupted with outrage over the idea that someone’s clothing could affect how they’re treated in public.
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News flash: Black folks have always known that what you wear can have consequences. In fact, some have paid for it with their lives. One TikToker in particular caught the double standard red handed, and she hit the nail on the head.
As Black folks, we’ve always been made aware of the fact that the clothes we wear sends a non-verbal message. After the shooting of Trayvon Martin, parents—and schools across the nation—adapted strict policies on hoodies. For generations, Black women have conformed to workplace standards by straightening our natural kinks for the purpose of making white folks feel “comfortable.” Wearing our HBCU and law school sweatshirts signaled to white folks we weren’t “a threat.” The list of these examples could go on and on.
As content creator therandib stated, wearing gear with “Bush and McCain” across the front simply doesn’t pose the same hostility as pro-Trump attire, and there’s good reason for that. Just take a quick look at some of Trump’s reported petty, ridiculous moves while in office. The content creator explained, “The idea that there should be zero repercussions for what you wear is another example of white privilege.”
“The fact that the Smoothie King incident was even a thing highlights the disparity and freedom white people have had in dressing as the way they choose without any thought of repercussions,” she added. “This president and the MAGA movement are assaultive to Black people due to the hostility they have towards us and their many efforts to work towards our detriment. Not quite a Klan hood, but certainly hostile. When we see it, it evokes fear and anger.”
And let’s be clear, a private business refusing service based on political views is not illegal, attorney Jonathan Marko told Fox 2 Detroit—despite the fact that Smoothie King decided to terminate the employees anyway.
“A lot of people are surprised to find out that the constitutional freedom of speech does not apply to private businesses, which means private businesses can discriminate based on political viewpoint,” Marko said, per Fox Detroit. “You could refuse service to someone with a MAGA hat, or you could refuse service to someone with a Kamala Harris hat. It’s just the law.”
Whether people agree with the workers’ actions or not, the conversation surrounding the Smoothie King incident exposes a deeper truth. Black Americans have always understood that clothing can influence perception, safety, and opportunity. For us, that awareness isn’t politics—it’s protection.
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