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CHRIS ROCK’S MAMA PLANS DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT: Rose Rock has incident at a South Carolina Cracker Barrel.
*Less than 24 hours after Oprah Winfrey gave the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel a strategic shout-out during Tuesday’s “Road Trip” episode, the Lebanon, Tenn.-based company has been hit with claims of racism by the mother of comedian Chris Rock.
Rose Rock plans to sue the establishment after claiming she was racially discriminated against when she was seated but ignored for more than a half hour at one of its South Carolina restaurants.
Mrs. Rock, who is from Georgetown, SC, said she and her 21-year-old daughter were the lone African Americans at the chain's Murrells Inlet restaurant in April. She said when she asked the manager about the delay she was told they could have a free meal.
"He never called over the waitresses and asked, `Why did these people sit here for an hour without service?'" she said, according to AP. "The only thing he said was we could have a free meal and neither of us wanted to eat."
Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said the company is investigating the claim and doesn't "tolerate any form of discrimination."
"It has always been a violation of our policies and procedures and it is neither condoned nor allowed," she said. "We do not allow the type of behavior you are describing."
Cracker Barrel has had a history of lawsuits and complaints over refusing to serve black customers, discriminating against minority workers and firing gay employees, reports AP.
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Rose Rock (with Al Sharpton behind her)
Rock said she contacted the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and was told her complaint would be handled, but "nothing ever happened." The head of the commission, Jesse Washington, told AP that her complaint was finalized Aug. 7 and his agency also was investigating.
Rev. Al Sharpton joined Rock on Wednesday in South Carolina to announce that Sharpton's Action Network will finance the planned lawsuit.
"I'm getting reports from all over the country about Cracker Barrel," Sharpton said, adding that state officials usually drag their feet when responding to such complaints.
"When people are talking about there is no more discrimination, a lot of it is because they are not following this stuff up," Sharpton said.
