The Wendell Outdoor Recreation Center is under fire for their racist rules this week.
What We Know:
- The owners of the center stated in the new rules “no baggy pants, no dread-locks/weaves/extensions or revealing clothes will be permitted or you will be asked to leave.”
- Considering these are mostly hairstyles worn by people of color, residents were understandably outraged.
- “I don’t have, or never experienced, any sort of discrimination in our town. We’re loving people…Mostly your weave and dreadlocks are worn by minority communities and they may not have put the two and two together when they created the rule,” said Kelly Russell, a Wendell native.
- The pool is owned privately in Wake County, North Carolina and is not associated with the town, however, residents still want answers as to why the rule was created in the first place.
- WRAL spoke with the pool’s owner, Johnny Freeman, who stated he and his wife apologize for their ignorance of the word “dreadlock,” and said the rules should have stated “no artificial hair.”
- Freeman’s wife on the other hand, Teresa Freeman has been extremely racist and problematic on her personal Facebook (where she also posts content for the recreation center).
Overall, this is a mess that’s only going to get uglier before it gets pretty. The Freemans need to truly get it together.
