With our growing generation of young workers and the multicultural American workforce, issues with inclusivity are occurring, especially with junior Emmanuel Negron.

Negron worked at Cracker Barrel for four months before quitting because of a racial encounter with a customer.

“It hurt my feelings,” said Negron, “she could have asked me the same question with manners to soften her tone.”

He was working on the cleaning crew when a middle-aged white woman impolitely asked him to clean a table, of which he was tending to. She had an impatient look in her eyes, as she shouted across the room, disrespecting Negron’s dignity as a worker in front of his co-workers.

Cracker Barrel has a 60% white to 40% mixed ratio of races. Most of the employees are of color, and his boss is understanding. What is the issue? The customers.

If the customers are able to abide to the golden rule (treat others the way you want to be treated) the environment will show a positive increase between the customers and the service.

Negron is not the only student at Freedom that works who has encountered racial discrimination; two of five students feel a biased response when they go to work every day.

With the amount of student workers we have, it is important carry this young generation to a well-rounded environment with inclusivity. We, as humans, must be more open minded when making an action in order to ensure our cultural diversity to withstand.

“If that one customer was able to be polite and give fair treatment, it would have thought it through before I quit.”