There's a new Facebook group protesting the alleged new and suspicious-bordering-on-racist policies of M1, a club here in Prague. (Update: Group has been de-listed. Read my interview with M1's Management.)
Both parties in this emerging sorry tale are guilty of bad behavior.
First, the club owner. His club has often been accused in the past of being hostile to Blacks in Prague, specifically Black men. Aggressive bouncers who enforce crowd (read: “color”) control: “Can't let you in—we have enough Blacks guys in here tonight....” Rude bartenders reluctant to serve Blacks because of alleged low tips.
And now: A “BLACK CARD” to weed out Black people? Sigh.
Disclaimer: I have not been to the club in a long, long while, and I have not heard yet from anyone who has this card or who has been turned away for not having it.
Curbing the presence of drug dealers in a club is an understandable—even laudable—objective, but to then make the flimsy leap to ascribe drug dealing to a race of people? You can't be that naïve, stupid or offensive—or maybe all three.
If this nonsense is actually true, how exactly will this system work? Will we, Black people in Prague, have to apply for clearance to attend this man's club? Is there an office or website to fill out an application? What's the vetting system for who gets a card and who doesn't? Do we have to submit copies of our work permits or resumes? Ridiculous.
Will it ever stop? Appropriating elements of Black culture to line pockets and then treating Black people like garbage? (According to my club-hopping friends, the nights the club plays “Black music” or has “Black DJs” are the only nights really worth visiting.)
If this “Black Card” is an exercise in crisis management or an attempt to reinvent the club's image, the owner needs to rethink his approach....
And now, about the drug dealers in question (who are not all Black!)
It pains me to write/acknowledge that a sizable portion is Nigerian. I get pissed off thinking about the bad rap and innuendos that law-abiding, professional, hard-working, inventive Nigerians have to contend with worldwide because of this particular strain of lowlifes. Is there a major world city that these a-holes (and their accompanying prostitute girlfriends) have not yet infiltrated, where they have not sullied our legacy?
Maybe it's time that "Respectable" Nigerians launch a PR campaign.
Cauky.
14 comments:
Sad. I'm sorry you have to deal with this kind of crap.
I have to comment :-) . The club owners do have a right- but I'd suggest a better consesus on how to get drug dealers out of the clubs!
Tighten the laws, call the police- an amount of drugs is now legal in Prague FYI - and that was the start of the love lost relationship between clubs and drug dealers!
If it weren't tolerated in the country/ city/ scene it wouldn't exist!
http://www.blisty.cz/2010/3/17/art51620.html
Worth reading to understand both sides- the drug dealers were used in the early days of Prague stag groups and party tourism to get crowds in to ordinary clubs too!
These days- its simply referred to as the"darker world"!!!
@Anon#1: Yes, club owners have a right to screen clientele, but I hope you're not suggesting that race is an okay basis for exclusivism. Having the right does not make it right.
And c'mon, club owners in Prague know drug dealing happens in their establishment, and that this is part of the draw for tourists. As the link Anon#2 (same person?) sent the clubs themselves engender
the problem. Therefore, they shouldn't be two-faced about it, or try to parade it off as a blight brought on by Blacks.
@Migrant: Crap is the right word.
*Sigh* Some people say that a few make it bad for the rest. This case shows that the few coupled with a whole lotta ignorant thinking/behaviour is a recipe for disaster.
I just thought that it would be interesting to see what this club owner has to say for himself, but truthfully (and sadly), I can already guess because I've seen his type before.
Are there any enforced laws in Prague (constitution, etc.) against racial discrimination?
This is a classic example of 'unintended consequences'. M1's management has a problem. And the problem is two fold. The first is that they want the club to be a drug-free zone environment(something we all can agree with) and for them to do that, they need to get rid of all the drug dealing taking place in the club. Most of their patrons are complaining that they are uncomfortable in a place where they get asked every so often if they want to buy drugs; after all, they came to the club to have a nice time and not to continually fend off solicitations. My second assumption is that they want to do it in a way they deem humane and respectful to everyone involved. {Let's also get one thing out of the way; that drug-dealing ,like corruption or any other business venture has both a(and often willing) supply and demand side.} The drug-dealers wouldn't come by if they thought they wouldn't get customers. Terra has created this group, as sensational a name as it has, to high-light what she and others perceive as an ill-informed policy on the part of the club in carrying out the said policy. I think Terra, Tomas and Jonathan will agree that no-one really benefits from a shouting match, accusations and counter-accusations.Let's give each other the benefit of the doubt. Were M1's intentions ulterior? I doubt it. I know Tomas and I know his heart and I can stand on a hill-top and say that Tomas doesn't have a racist bone in him. Was the way the policy got structured leave a lot of wriggle room for the M1 Management,the bouncers and the patrons(drug dealers and non-drug dealers alike) to exploit it for ill or good? You bet.Let's come together with a workable solution that satisfies everyone,if not most people. I trust that Terra, Tomas and Jonathan will structure a policy that will leave no room for ambiguity.One other thing, lets all be a little restrained in how we put our points across. We have to remember that behind it all are people with feelings and hearts.
Wow, I am so out of the loop, hadn't even heard about this. But this blog post is sooo relevant to today's headlines!
The new Republican GOP Senate candidate wants to "look at" the part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that keeps a private business from excluding people based on race. It's crazy! And an argument America settled more than 40 years ago.
Could you imagine the chaos if a bunch of people were going out and had to decide, "gee this club lets in Blacks but not Gays,...." He's in some sort of backward time travel machine. And since Rand Paul wants to look at the ADA law too, you may have to leave your disabled friends at home as well.
I'm with Michael, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this crap. Big hug!
@Viajera - Good question. I'll find out from a lawyer friend.
@Ja'Uyoma - I'm going to follow up with Terra (and possibly M1 mgmt if they'll talk.)
@Karen - So much for progress and enlightenment! What's this guy's rationale?
A good vibe at a venue starts with its management - they create a good space for the staff and high standards, and this attracts a better class of clientele.
M1 has always had a distinctly dodgy vibe, and this carding situation is no surprise.
This reminds me of the 'crackdown' on Vietnamese last year, for alleged marijuana dealing.
Question: who's buying? Certainly not the Vietnamese.
@Drew: Agreed. I can understand that M1 wants to clean up its image, but the carding idea seemed to have been poorly thought out. They need a new image/crisis management consultant!
Hey Blackgirl,
I'm new to your blog and I love it! From July to August my friend and I will also be black girls in Prague. We're doing a studying international law while in Prague.
I find your blog to be extremely informative, so thank you.
My two cents on this club issue...I went to undergrad in West Virginia! There were always reports of discrimination at the local clubs. Sadly, racism appears to be something that we must continue to advocate against, both abroad and at home.
PS:
Drug dealers do not equal black
Although some dealers may be black...wish I could upload a vin diagram to illustrate this point as I'm sure some people who commented on your page fail to understand how and why thier statements are illogical.
Hi Peculiar, welcome (in advance) to Prague. Hope you and your friend enjoy it here! It can be tons of fun.
I intend to add my email address to the site, and you can drop me a note if you want to grab a coffee.
About the BlackCard: I'm in touch with the club's owner to do a follow-up to this post. Stay tuned.
As my grandmother would say, " Oh, lawd." Is it sad that I laugh at situations like this, rather than get boiling mad, like I used to?
@Vanessa: Ha! I completely understand. That you laugh now is not sad at all. In fact it's healthy. You realize that all this drama is just ego-bs.
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