SZA Details Being Profiled While Shopping For Dog Food: "I Was In Tears"

BYErika Marie16.2K Views
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SZA
SZA was in California shopping in the Palisades for dog food when a white man tried to get her kicked out for being a "rioter."

In the Spring of last year, SZA took to Twitter to share an incident that left her disturbed. According to the Top Dawg Entertainment singer, she was at Sephora minding her own business when a white employee called mall security because she believed SZA was stealing. The celebrity-laden neighborhood of Calabasas isn't that diverse, so "Sandy Sephora," as SZA dubbed her, seemed to racially profile the singer.

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In the wake of these current times as protests are being overrun with riots and looters, SZA shared she was out in California trying to do some shopping when she was asked to leave the store. "I’ve had the WEEIRDDESSST EXPERIENCES TODAY. 🥴 another random ass man tried to remove me from a plaza In palisades while attempting to buy dog food for fear I was a 'rioter'," she tweeted on Sunday (May 31). "Lol He asked the grocery employee if he was 'okay' after watching him speak w me then told me 2 leave👌🏾." A fan asked if the man who confronted her was "you know," meaning white, and SZA confirmed that he was.

"Between the 'lock and load' rhetoric on my neighborhood app + being rushed out of a public space for being considered a rioter ...I was in tears," SZA added. "Couldn’t even jump up and down how I wanted cause I didn’t wanna look like a 'rioter' to the legion of cops across the street. Smh. And in that moment I realized I cared more about the white gaze than my own humanity .. I was sad for me . I don’t wanna live like that no more . I wanna cry and yell if I need to .. no guilt trip." Check out her tweets below.


About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
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