Tracy Evans filed the lawsuit last October against Founders Brewing Company. In the lawsuit he alleges that he was fired from Founders after making a complaint of racism in the workplace to Human Resources.
In the leaked deposition, Evans’ Attorney, Jack Schulz asked Founders’ Manager Dominic Ryan whether he knew Tracy is African American and Ryan responded with “I am not sure of his lineage so I can’t answer that.”
And when asked if Ryan knew whether former President Barack Obama, Michael Jordan or ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick are Black, Ryan said he didn’t know because he had never met them.
I asked Jeanne Cheshire- Alvarado, a local physician, if there are any medical conditions that could prevent someone from being able to tell the race of another person.
“There is no medical diagnosis of colorblindness…thats a choice. According to American society, Obama is Black so its easy to claim ignorance and not actually answer the question than answer the question.”
And Grand Valley State University professor of African American History, Louis Moore says Ryan’s denial of Evan’s Blackness is akin to the way American society treats Black people.
“Because to confront and acknowledge that somebody is Black means that you have to acknowledge their history, you have to acknowledge racism, and just to say, ‘hey, I don’t know what this guy is cause he never told me’ just means that you don’t want to deal with it and that’s the position you are going to take.”
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.
