China McClain Explains the Discrimination She and Other Black People Face While Shopping

Actress China McClain posted a short video to Instagram sharing her experience being followed by retail employees to help educate others on the day-to-day racism experienced by Black people.

This video is a continuation of McClain’s “lightweight racism stories,” where she shares personal experiences on her Instagram to give others a better understanding of the seemingly small, yet significant, racist occurrences she and other black people face. In her newest video titled “Shopping While Black,” McClain focuses on her multiple experiences shopping at Brandy Melville. She explains that while she and her family have been followed by employees at every store they’ve shopped at least once, Brandy Melville employees have followed McClain every time she has ever been inside any of their locations, including locations outside of the U.S.

McClain starts off by explaining that oftentimes when she or other black people enter stores, employees tend to keep an especially close watch because they assume the customer will steal something. Instead of being helpful or accommodating, employees will follow the customer around the store. McClain emphasizes that she wants to illustrate the experience of a black consumer using her personal story about Brandy Melville, but it is not her intention to “call out” the brand.

“Every time I went in there, not only was I treated differently than the other girls that didn’t look like me, but it was like they would assign an employee to me and they would follow me around while I was shopping,” said McClain. “They wouldn’t be like nice or accommodating or anything. They were pretty cold. And they would just be watching.”

McClain recalls the first time she ever went into a Brandy Melville store. She was with her dad and was planning to buy some clothes. But because of the employees’ rude attitudes and the suspicious ways they were watching her, McClain ended up leaving the store without making any purchases.

Regardless of location, McClain continued to feel uncomfortable in Brandy Melville but kept giving the brand the benefit of the doubt, theorizing that maybe it was because she tends to dress very casually. The last time she ever entered a Brandy Melville store was in Canada, and she was shopping with her white co-star. They still followed her – in contrast, the employees were very friendly toward and did not follow her white co-star. Only when other customers recognized McClain and asked for photos did the employees treat her kindly, even asking her to pose for promotional photos, which McClain declined.

“I don’t carry bags and purses into stores really ever because I don’t want people to think that I’m trying to steal something,” said McClain. “I really think about that every time I leave. I’m not sure a lot of people that aren’t a minority know that that’s a thing, but it is. So if you’re ever shopping with a black friend, and they’re picking up clothes with the intention of buying them, and then all of a sudden they drop everything and they’re like ‘let’s go,’ and they walk out, don’t ask any questions, just go ahead and follow them.”

Follow @chinamcclain on Instagram to keep up to date.