When seven black teenagers went to the North Dallas Sonic on May 29 to hang out like they had done for years, an employee told them they needed to get in their cars or the police would be called, according to WFAA. Two groups of white kids ate in the same spot but were never told the police would be called.
“So all those kids being black, the use of the words ‘police will be involved’ is like a threat to them,” said Shonn Brown, the mother of Evan Brown, one of the boys. “They were intimidated and they were scared so they didn’t just get in their cars, they left immediately and came home and told their parents. Some of them visibly shaking, some of them really quiet and trying to process how this happened.”
Sonic released a statement Sunday. “Sonic unequivocally opposes racism and intolerance of any kind. We celebrate diversity and strive to consistently create an environment that highly values inclusion,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, a recent event at our Drive-In restaurant in Dallas, Texas, was handled inappropriately and did not live up to our standards. We are revising our policy to ensure the appropriate level of manager is involved in handling matters with our guests…. We are also bolstering our training program to include consistent unconscious bias training, with a focus on the African American experience, as we foster a more inclusive environment for our team members and guests.”
On Sunday the families involved conducted a peaceful drive-thru protest. “The takeaway is use your voice. Stand up when you see wrong. And take action,” Shonn Brown said. “These seven kids had a bad experience. They talked about it. They said it was horrible and they said, ‘We’re not going to stand for this,’ and they want change.”