Rose Wakefield, a 63-year-old Black Oregonian, has been awarded one million dollars in damages by a jury after it finds that she was a victim of racial discrimination.
On March 12, 2020, Mrs Wakefield had pull over at the Jacksons Food Store in Beaverton where she claims she was ignored by the gas station attendant while he served other cars. In an argument that followed, the attendant refused to serve her, saying, “I don’t serve Black people.”
“I was like, ‘what world am I living in? This is now supposed to go down like that. It was a terrible, terrible confrontation between me and this guy.”
-Rose Wakefield
The Multnomah County Jury found that Rose Wakefield was discriminated against on grounds of her race and colour. “I don’t serve black people,” the gas station employee had told her.
The incident took place at a gas station owned by the Jacksons Food Stores company.
“I work maybe like six blocks from this station. I was ignored and racially attacked,” Mrs Wakefield added. “I was like, ‘what world am I living in? This is now supposed to go down like that. It was a terrible, terrible confrontation between me and this guy,” she told KGW.
Jacksons Food Stores Company, however, has issued a statement denying claims of Mrs Rosefield. “After carefully reviewing all facts and evidence, including video surveillance, we chose to take this matter to trial because we were comfortable based on our knowledge that the service-related concern actually reported by the customer was investigated and promptly addressed,” the company said in a statement released to the press.
