‘You Light-skinned…’ was enough for a black Michigan server to be fired after white co-worker gets offended, not even referring to her

One restaurant in Detroit has been under fire this week following the story of the firing a black server over a joke with a co-worker. People gathered in front of the restaurant almost every day since the incident.

C. Turner, now former server in Green Dot Stables in Detroit, was fired after she allegedly offended white co-worker saying “you light-skinned mother**er” to another black colleague. According to Turner, she referred to a cook who was given her hard time.

The comment, a reference to light-skinned Black people, played on a stereotype about their being “uppity,” Turner said. What is even more, she and the cook are both light-skinned, but other white co-worker woman got offended and complained to the management.

Following the complaint, Turner was fired last Saturday after working several weeks in the restaurant.

“They’re using policies that were put in place to protect me against me,” Turner said of the white-owned business. “Those policies weren’t written up to defend white people, they were intended to defend Black and brown and gay people against white supremacy.”

Local media tried to contact the owners, but they refused to comment on the incident. One of the co-owners said they will meet Turner to discuss the matter in the upcoming days. He also added that “We respect the privacy of our employees and do not discuss personnel matters.”

At first, Turner didn’t want to take legal action against the restaurant, but when she told her owner of her second job what happened, she changed her decision.

“When you’re Black, you try not to unintentionally pull the race card,” she said.

After Turner’s story went viral, the owners tried to reach her for a meeting which she declined. She allegedly told them they can only meet her lawyer.

“To take a policy that was out in place to protect minorities and people of color and use it against a person of color because a white person was offended is a perfect example of white supremacy,” Turner told the station.

Turner who also works in other two restaurants, posted on social media fully supporting her.

Another protest is scheduled for Saturday in front of the restaurant at 5:30 p.m.