Joe's Crab Shack Owners, Roseville Respond To Hanging Picture Controversy
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The restaurant group that owns Joe's Crab Shack and the city of Roseville are responding to a controversial picture found in a table recently.
On Thursday, the Minneapolis NAACP said two African-American diners -- Tyrone Williams and Chauntyll Allen -- recently sat down for a meal at Joe's Crab Shack in Roseville when they discovered a disturbing image embedded inside of a decorative table at the restaurant.
The diners, according to the NAACP, found a picture that depicted two black men being hanged, surrounded by a white crowd, with the caption next to one of the victims that read, "All I said was that I didn't like the gumbo."
Doing some quick research at their table, the NAACP says the diners discovered that the picture was authentic and depicted a real hanging from Texas in 1896. They notified the manager, who the NAACP says was apologetic.
On Friday, Roseville responded to the incident, saying: "The City of Roseville was shocked and saddened to learn of the racist imagery being openly displayed. The City condemns this type of display in the strongest possible terms and calls on Joe's Crab Shack to remove any and all racist imagery not only from its Roseville location, but all of its restaurants nationwide."
Shortly thereafter, the company that owns Joe's Crab Shack, Ignite Restaurant Group, responded, saying: "We understand one of the photos used in our table décor at our Joe's Crab Shack location in Roseville, MN was offensive. We take this matter very seriously, and the photo in question was immediately removed. We sincerely apologize to our guests who were disturbed by the image and we look forward to continuing to serve the Roseville community."
The NAACP is demanding a public apology from the corporate offices of the restaurant, immediate removal of any similar pictures in tables at restaurants around the country, and a donation to a local community-based organization that serves African-American youth and teenagers.
