Updated: $30K Has Been Raised For Chicago Store Clerk Berated In Racially-Charged Video
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Nov 30, 2016 3:47PM
Update, 12:00 p.m.:
The campaign is officially a national—even international—phenomenon. It has now received donations from all 50 states; and people from 14 different countries have pledged funds, a GoFundMe spokesperson told Chicagoist. The highest donation so far was for $500, with the average gift size being $14.
Original:
A Chicago woman has raised more than $30,000 after a disturbing video of another woman making an extended, offensive shouting rant against shoppers and African-American employees at a Michaels in Lakeview went viral.
In the video clip, the woman is heard go on a pro-Trump rant, and also swears at several people in the Michaels, including possibly the store manager. A bystander named Jessie Grady filmed the exchange and shared it on Facebook, where she also described how the woman had been shouting at a black employee who asked her if she wanted to purchase a bag to place her larger items in at checkout. As the video gained traction, Grady launched a GoFundMe campaign on Saturday to raise money for the Michaels employee who was the tirade's "main target."
"I’d like to show her that many people are horrified by how this woman treated her, and that we stand with her and appreciate her hard work," Grady wrote. "She inspired me because despite the hateful words that were being hurled in her direction, she stood in that entranceway calm and unmoving to protect her staff and customers. Her calmness calmed me and I saw a true leader, which in today’s world, is something to be rewarded. All proceeds from this GoFundMe will be given to this employee, who has three children, to try to make her busy holiday season brighter."
Two days ago, the GoFundMe had raised over $7,000 dollars, far exceeding its original goal of $400. As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe page had received just shy of $29,000 in donations from over 2,000 people.
On Tuesday, Grady posted an update to the page explaining how the extra funds would go to the store employee, who says she runs a small business knitting scarves and hats, and also wants to pursue a Masters in Psychology to make a career change:
I have been speaking to the manager I'm raising this gift for about what to do with the additional funds. I want this to be her decision to empower her to meet the needs of her family and of her community. It is not my place as a white woman to do that for her. This is truly an amazing, inspiring, creative woman and leader. I felt that standing next to her and even more so that I've gotten to know her. She put her small design business on hold to focus on a steady income as a manager at Michaels to support her family. As part of her small business she knits scarves and hats for homeless teens in Chicago every year. This is one of the few things I've learned from her generosity and kindness. From our conversations, she said, "I want my Masters in Psychology so I can become a guidance counselor to stand with our youth." She dreams of opening a boarding school for disadvantaged youth to teach the skills they need to reach their potential. "This is how we can heal humanity, transferring these ideas to our youth. It's not just a song that children our are future."