Activism

Protesters Rally for Whole Foods Workers to Openly Support Black Lives Matter

Published

6 years ago

July 31, 2020

About 35 Whole Foods workers, ex-workers and supporters gathered outside of the store’s Berkeley Telegraph Avenue location on Saturday afternoon to protest the company and local management not allowing workers to wear masks and attire that says “Black Lives Matter.” The action followed and built on a similar larger event that occurred on Friday, July 17, when, according to ex-Whole Foods worker Jordan Baker, about 250 people rallied outside of Whole Foods’ Gilman Street location.

Although protestors said they were also responding to a long history of racism and white supremacy at Whole Foods, one specific incident helped spark the rallies: management at the Gilman street location demanding that Baker, who is Black, remove a mask that said “Black Lives Matter” on it on July 14.

“Store leadership told me they wouldn’t want to get in the middle of me and an angry customer who was offended by me wearing something that says ‘Black Lives Matter,” said Baker. “They told me it was akin to someone wearing a MAGA mask and that it was a controversial statement.”

Management gave Baker the option of wearing another mask or leaving for the day. Not wanting to compromise her principals, Baker decided to leave. Although she had worked at Whole Foods for seven years, her entire adult working life up to that point, she quit the next day she was scheduled to work, July 17.

“I honestly don’t want to work for a company who only ‘supports’ a movement when it makes them look good or makes them money,” said Baker in an Instagram post she wrote on July 14 and edited on July 17.

Although Whole Foods’ website and a sign outside their Telegraph location states, “Racism has no place here,” and “We support the Black community,” other workers locally and across the country say they also have faced repercussions for displaying the message “Black Lives Matter” while working in the store.

Workers at a Cambridge, Massachusetts Whole Foods said that, a little over a month ago, their management sent several workers home for wearing masks that said “Black Lives Matter.” One worker, Savannah Kinzer, was fired shortly after. The workers have filed a discrimination lawsuit that alleges Whole Foods enforces their dress code in a selective way to specifically suppress those supporting Black Lives Matter, including sending workers home without pay, and that Kinzer was fired specifically because of her open support for Black Lives Matter. Whole Foods workers in Seattle have protested due to similar treatment.

Ann Del Rio, who worked at Whole Foods’ Telegraph Avenue location until recently said that management at that store selectively enforces their dress code as well. While the code does not allow workers to wear apparel with messages unrelated to Whole Foods or the products it sells, workers regularly wear sports t-shirts and shirts with names of heavy metal bands on them. Yet a little over a month ago management told a worker wearing a Black Lives Matter mask and one wearing a Mexican Flag mask to take them off.

Del Rio said management escalated efforts to enforce the dress code on July 17, the same day of the protest outside of the Whole Foods’ Gilman Street location, telling workers they were going to start enforcing the dress code more stringently, specifically pointing out buttons and masks with messages on them. At that point, Del Rio had already put in her two weeks’ notice and planned to quit to work another job. But she left three days before her planned last day when management gave her an ultimatum: stop wearing a small Black Lives Matter button or do not come to work.

“I would rather lose three days of work than compromise my ethics,” Del Rio said. “It was very clear that them really coming down on the dress code policy is because they don’t support the Black community and they don’t want to alienate their white customer base.”

The store was closed during the protest due to a power outage, according to Whole Foods representatives on-site. Yet the protest still got attention from those unaffiliated with the store. People driving cars along Telegraph Avenue honked their horns as protesters held signs accusing Whole Foods of racism. A van with the message “WHOLE FOODS IS RACIST” in large spray-painted letters was on display.

A nurse, Eric Torres, who works at Sutter Health Clinic which sits across the street from the Telegraph Whole Foods store, got to work a little early and decided to join the protest. He did not know, before he saw the protesters, about the action.

“I’ve got 15 minutes and I’ll use my 15 minutes for something good,” he said. “I read about Whole Foods and people not being allowed to wear BLM stuff at work. So when I saw people out here I knew what they were supporting. It’s just about human decency.”

Torres held a sign, which Baker made that read “‘RACISM HAS NO PLACE HERE’ SAID THE RACIST.’”

“I have endured racism all my life,” said Denise James, a 66-year-old Black retired teacher who lives near the store and passed by the protest. “It’s unfortunate and awful and detrimental in so many ways to African Americans. I’m so glad that there’s a movement now to highlight all these issues.”

James was happy to see the protestors, saying “more power to them.” She called Whole Foods “two-faced” for displaying a sign on their store that reads “Racism has no place here” while not allowing workers to openly support the Black Lives Matter movement.

John Hopkins, an Amazon worker who is trying to organize other local Amazon workers through an organization called Bay Area Amazonians came out to support and stayed for several hours. Since Amazon owns Whole Foods, he sees their fights as related. He wore a Black Lives Matter mask and held a sign he made that read “Solidarity Means Saying BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!!!!”

“Black Lives Matter should not be a controversial statement, “ he said. “The fact that it is is systemic racism.”

John Farmer, an ex-Whole Foods employee of seven years who quit because he said the workload was too much for the pay, spoke through a loudspeaker to the protesters and those passing by.

“Attention Berkeley: Whole Foods is closed due to an outbreak of racism,” he said, jokingly. “They are too racist to operate.”

Other protestors used the loudspeaker to call for Whole Foods to pay reparations and reinstitute the two dollars an hour COVID related hazard pay allotment that the company began in March but ended in June, even as COVID cases have continued to rise nationwide.

Protestors chanted “Black lives matter,” “All Black lives matter,” “Whole Foods is racist” and “Jeff Bezos is racist” often.

Although the protest was scheduled to happen between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., it ended up running longer than planned and the last people left just after 5 p.m.

“Black people deserve to know that they are respected and protected,” said Baker. “I wore my mask because saying Black Lives Matter isn’t controversial. I had a lot of support shown to me and the others throughout the company who are receiving the same treatment. Taking a stand against Whole Foods and being a part of the biggest ‘fuck you’ that they have received in a long time feels good and it feels like it’s been a long time coming.”

When emailed, Whole Foods Media did not respond to the question, “Does Whole Foods support the Black Lives Matter movement?” Instead, they sent a statement that was identical to one published in a recent Berkleyside and Boston24News story. It reads as follows:

“In order to operate in a customer-focused environment, all Team Members must comply with our longstanding company dress code, which prohibits clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related. Team Members with face masks that do not comply with dress code are always offered new face masks. Team Members are unable to work until they comply with dress code.”

Zack Haber

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Activism

Discrimination in City Contracts

The report was made public by Councilmember Carroll Fife, who brought it this week to the Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, which she chairs. Councilmembers, angry at the conditions revealed, unanimously approved the informational report, which is scheduled to go to an upcoming council meeting for discussion and action. The current study covers five years, 2016-2021, roughly overlapping the two tenures of Libby Schaaf, who served as mayor from January 2015 to January 2023.

Published

4 days ago

February 13, 2026

Oakland Post

Dr. Eleanor Ramsey (top, left) founder, and CEO of Mason Tillman Associates, which conducted the study revealing contract disparities, was invited by District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife (top center) to a Council committee meeting attended by Oakland entrepreneur Cathy Adams (top right) and (bottom row, left to right) Brenda Harbin-Forte, Carol Wyatt, and councilmembers Charlene Wang and Ken Houston. Courtesy photos.

Disparity Study Exposes Oakland’s Lack of Race and Equity Inclusion

Part 1

By Ken Epstein

A long-awaited disparity study funded by the City of Oakland shows dramatic evidence that city government is practicing a deeply embedded pattern of systemic discrimination in the spending of public money on outside contracts that excludes minority- and woman-owned businesses, especially African Americans.

Instead, a majority of public money goes to a disproportionate handful of white male-owned companies that are based outside of Oakland, according to the 369-page report produced for the city by Mason Tillman Associates, an Oakland-based firm that performs statistical, legal and economic analyses of contracting and hiring.

The current study covers five years, 2016-2021, roughly overlapping the two tenures of Libby Schaaf, who served as mayor from January 2015 to January 2023.

The amount of dollars at stake in these contracts was significant in the four areas that were studied, a total of $486.7 million including $214.6 million on construction, $28.6 million on architecture, and engineering, $78.9 million on professional services, and $164.6 million on goods and services.

While the city’s policies are good, “the practices are not consistent with policy,” said Dr. Eleanor Ramsey, founder and CEO of Mason Tillman Associates.

There have been four disparity studies during the last 20 years, all showing a pattern of discrimination against women and minorities, especially African Americans, she said. “You have good procurement policy but poor enforcement.”

“Most minority- and women-owned businesses did not receive their fair share of city-funded contracts,” she continued. “Over 50% of the city’s prime contract dollars were awarded to white-owned male businesses that controlled most subcontracting awards. And nearly 65% of the city’s prime contracts were awarded to non-Oakland businesses.”

As a result, she said, “there is a direct loss of revenue to Oakland businesses and to business tax in the city… There is also an indirect loss of sales and property taxes (and) increased commercial office vacancies and empty retail space.”

Much of the discrimination occurs in the methods used by individual city departments when issuing outside contracts. Many departments have found “creative” ways to circumvent policies, including issuing “emergency” contracts for emergencies that do not exist and providing waivers to requirements to contract with women- and minority-owned businesses, Ramsey said.

Many of the smaller contracts – 59% of total contracts issued – never go to the City Council for approval.

Some people argue that the contracts go to a few big companies because small businesses either do not exist or cannot do the work. But the reality is that a majority of city contracts are small, under $100,000, and there are many Black-, woman- and minority-owned companies available in Oakland, said Ramsey.

“Until we address the disparities that we are seeing, not just in this report but with our own eyes, we will be consistently challenged to create safety, to create equity, and to create the city that we all deserve,” said Fife.

A special issue highlighted in the disparity report was the way city departments handled spending of federal money issued in grants through a state agency, Caltrans. Under federal guidelines, 17.06%. of the dollars should go to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).

“The fact is that only 2.16% of all the dollars awarded on contracts (went to) DBEs,” Ramsey said.

Speaking at the committee meeting, City Councilmember Ken Houston said, “It’s not fair, it’s not right. If we had implemented (city policies) 24 years ago, we wouldn’t be sitting here (now) waiving (policies).”

“What about us? We want vacations. We want to have savings for our children. We’re dying out here,” he said.

Councilmember Charlene Wang said that she noticed when reading the report that “two types of business owners that are consistently experiencing the most appalling discrimination” are African Americans and minority females.

“It’s gotten worse” over the past 20 years, she said. “It’s notable that businesses have survived despite the fact that they have not been able to do business with their own city.”

Also speaking at the meeting, Brenda Harbin-Forte, a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge, and chair of the Legal Redress Committee for the Oakland NAACP, said, “I am so glad this disparity study finally was made public. These findings … are not just troubling, they are appalling, that we have let these things go on in our city.”

“We need action, we need activity,” she said. “We need for the City Council and others to recognize that you must immediately do something to rectify the situation that has been allowed to go on. The report says that the city was an active or inactive or unintentional or whatever participant in what has been going on in the city. We need fairness.”

Cathy Adams, president of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, said, “The report in my opinion was very clear. It gave directions, and I feel that we should accept the consultant Dr. Ramsey’s recommendations.

“We understand what the disparities are; it’s going to be upon the city, our councilmembers, and our department heads to just get in alignment,” she said.

Said West Oakland activist Carol Wyatt, “For a diverse city to produce these results is a disgrace. The study shows that roughly 83% of the city contracting dollars went to non-minority white male-owned firms under so-called race neutral policies

These conditions are not “a reflection of a lack of qualified local firms,” she continued. “Oakland does not have a workforce shortage; it has a training, local hire, and capacity-building problem.”

“That failure must be examined and corrected,” she said. “The length of time the study sat without action, only further heightens the need for accountability.”

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COMMENTARY: The National Protest Must Be Accompanied with Our Votes

Just as Trump is gathering election data like having the FBI take all the election data in Georgia from the 2020 election, so must we organize in preparation for the coming primary season to have the right people on ballots in each Republican district, so that we can regain control of the House of Representatives and by doing so, restore the separation of powers and balance that our democracy is being deprived of.

Published

6 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. File photo..

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

As thousands of Americans march every week in cities across this great nation, it must be remembered that the protest without the vote is of no concern to Donald Trump and his administration.

In every city, there is a personal connection to the U.S. Congress. In too many cases, the member of Congress representing the people of that city and the congressional district in which it sits, is a Republican. It is the Republicans who are giving silent support to the destructive actions of those persons like the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of Homeland Security, and the National Intelligence Director, who are carrying out the revenge campaign of the President rather than upholding the oath of office each of them took “to Defend The Constitution of the United States.”

In California, the primary comes in June 2026. The congressional races must be a priority just as much as the local election of people has been so important in keeping ICE from acquiring facilities to build more prisons around the country.

“We the People” are winning this battle, even though it might not look like it. Each of us must get involved now, right where we are.

In this Black History month, it is important to remember that all we have accomplished in this nation has been “in spite of” and not “because of.” Frederick Douglas said, “Power concedes nothing without a struggle.”

Today, the struggle is to maintain our very institutions and history. Our strength in this struggle rests in our “collectiveness.” Our newspapers and journalists are at the greatest risk. We must not personally add to the attack by ignoring those who have been our very foundation, our Black press.

Are you spending your dollars this Black History Month with those who salute and honor contributions by supporting those who tell our stories? Remember that silence is the same as consent and support for the opposition. Where do you stand and where will your dollars go?