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McDonald’s China Apologizes For Banning Black People From A Store

McDonald’s China Apologizes For Banning Black People From A Store

McDonald's
A McDonald’s in China apologized for banning Black people and closed temporarily to “educate managers and employees on our values.” Photo: Twitter

If you’re a Black person in China these days, you might want to think about traveling. In recent weeks, Black people there have been the victims of blatant racism. The last incident involved McDonald’s. 

A McDonald’s restaurant in Guangzhou, posted a notice on its front doors that due to concerns over COVID-19, Black people were not allowed in. The note, of course, made the rounds on social media, enraging people across the globe. 

Now McDonald’s is doing damage control. 

In a statement, McDonald’s said the sign is “not representative of our inclusive values.” The sign was removed and the McDonald’s location was temporarily closed down.

The Guangzhou metro area has a population of 56-million plus, and is home to Asia’s largest African migrant population — “Little Africa.” Africans come here seeking business opportunities, reputable universities and low cost of living.

“Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou, we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC.

McDonald’s also promised to “further educate managers and employees on our values, which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate.”

Recent warnings from Chinese officials about the rising number of imported coronavirus cases have stoked anti-foreigner sentimentCNN reported.

Guangzhou has the largest African community in China. In 2017, “approximately 320,000 Africans entered or left China through Guangzhou,” CNN reported. The African residents there have increasingly become targets of racist acts.   

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Over the last few weeks, hundreds of Africans in Guangzhou were evicted from apartments and hotels after online rumors that the coronavirus was spreading among African people, The New York Post reported. 

To aid the Africans locked out of their homes and who are now on the streets, Ugandan politician Bobi Wine partnered with Atlanta Black Star co-founder Neil Nelson to airlift mistreated Africans out of China.