Local businesses say ‘Black Lives Matter.’ But what does that mean for Pittsburgh nightlife?

Essay by Raghav Sharma and Markeea Hart

On “Blackout Tuesday” in early June, many organizations across the country took to social media to signal support for the nationwide uprising against racism, the movement sparked by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Pittsburgh businesses, especially those in the South Side, Pittsburgh’s well-known nightlife destination, took to social media to signal support for Black Lives Matter.

But some Black patrons and performers reject these proclamations. Their personal experiences with these businesses starkly contrast their corporate statements of anti-racism. In this moment of upheaval and uprising, true solidarity means taking stock of one’s own role in oppressive systems and making meaningful changes. As authors interested in genuine accountability — whose own growth and learning depended on serious engagement with past carelessness and bigotry — we spoke with two Pittsburghers about what real accountability might look like for these businesses. Their stories validated the stories of scores of Black people — on Yelp, on Twitter, and through word of mouth — who feel unwelcome and unsafe participating in the nightlife of the South Side and in other areas of Pittsburgh.

Donyisha “Yasha” Wooley, a videographer and writer from the South Side, spoke to us about her negative experiences as a patron of the neighborhood’s businesses. She recounts many stories of establishments sending racialized signals with their dress codes and bouncers interpreting clothing choices in racist ways.

One example is at The Flats on Carson, where Yasha described waiting half an hour in the winter cold only to be told her camo jacket was against dress code, an experience that matches similar stories of dress-code discrimination levied by Black Yelp reviewers. The posted dress code prohibits, among other items, basketball shoes, “flashy” jewelry and bandanas. The business did not respond to requests for comment.

Yasha notes that many discriminatory encounters in the South Side are at the hands of East Carson Street’s bouncers.

“Their energy feels like it’s provoking you. It’s like someone is staring at you, just waiting for you to make a mistake.”

This constant vigilance ruins the atmosphere of a night out, Yasha said, especially since this harassment and exclusion by security staff plays out in the shadow of police violence against Black Pittsburghers. “As soon as I hear the cops are coming, I know they’re not coming to help me,” she said. “They’re coming to arrest me.”

INEZ, a born-and-raised Pittsburgh musician, echoed Yasha’s skepticism by recounting her experiences of discrimination against performers and patrons at venues like Spirit Lodge in Lawrenceville.

The dress code at The Flats on Carson has drawn criticism for concerns that it unfairly excluding Black patrons. (Photo by Jay Manning/PublicSource)

 

 

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Local businesses say ‘Black Lives Matter.’ But what does that mean for Pittsburgh nightlife?

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