Kyle Sales, a teenager who recently started working at a Lowe’s in Washington, found himself facing an unexpected confrontation over a simple shirt. Kyle wore a t-shirt to work with the phrase “Black Panther Wakanda Forever” across it, a nod to the beloved Marvel film. But that shirt quickly sparked an issue when a customer claimed it was offensive.
His supervisor called him aside, not long into his shift. “A customer said your shirt is offensive and racist,” she said, looking stern. Kyle was floored. Confused and angry, he responded, “This is from a movie. How is this racist?” The shirt was a symbol of pride for him, and he felt deeply wronged.
The supervisor didn’t back down, instead giving him a hard choice: he could either buy a new shirt from the store or leave to change at home. “I was very angry,” Kyle shared later, still visibly upset. “It just did not seem fair in light of all of the things happening in our world right now. This isn’t racist. I shouldn’t be punished for a t-shirt from a movie.”
Eventually, Kyle covered his shirt with a sports jersey, but his frustration lingered. Yet, the story didn’t end there. The very next day, Kyle heard from a friend that the same woman came back, demanding more. She was asking store employees, “What happened to that kid? What was his punishment?” It was like she couldn’t rest until she knew he had been reprimanded.
This confrontation stirred up memories for Kyle, memories he had tried to leave behind. As a young Black man, he had faced racism before – in high school, where classmates called him the N-word, and in previous jobs, where a manager used to call him “colored boy.” These experiences had left scars, and now, he felt them reopen.
His mother, Kimberly, wasn’t going to let this slide. Outraged by what she saw as blatant discrimination, she voiced her disappointment. “This is pure, unadulterated discrimination,” she said. She believed that Lowe’s owed her son far more than just an apology.
Eventually, Lowe’s addressed the issue publicly. They issued a statement through a local CBS news outlet, apologizing directly to Kyle. “Mr. Sales should never have been asked to change his shirt, and we have apologized to him directly,” said a spokesperson.
“We know this is a teachable moment, and we will take action to coach and train the managers at the store to help prevent this from happening again.” They emphasized their commitment to diversity and inclusion, saying, “We remain committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are safe, treated fairly, valued, and respected.”
Kyle, who took on the job at Lowe’s to save money for college at Washington State University, hopes that companies truly embrace the values they claim to uphold. This incident has only strengthened his resolve to keep standing up for himself and others like him, determined to make the world a more understanding place.
What do you think about Kyle’s experience? Do you think he was treated fairly? Share your thoughts in the comments!
