FOX News political analyst Gianno Caldwell says he was kicked out of a North Miami Wine Bar over the weekend. The conservative Black journalist told Narcity in a statement that it was a "clear case of discrimination."
Since then, Paradis Books & Bread has gone private on Instagram and has even password-protected its website.
Caldwell told his side of the story on FOX News on Sunday morning. He said he was at the café having breakfast with his neighbors on Saturday when an owner walked up to him and told him to leave.
"One of the owners came over to the table and told us she had been listening to our conversation; we were not welcome there," he said. He said he asked the owner if something he had said was "triggering" to her. According to Caldwell, she replied, "No, our politics aren't aligned. I'm one of the owners, I'm an owner here. I don't feel comfortable. You have to leave."
Caldwell claims that he was discussing being a conservative Black man in America and his stance on certain subjects, like violent crime in America and what it's like to work at FOX.
Although the café's social media account is now private, USA Today reports that the Paradis staff published a statement via Instagram explaining that Caldwell and his group had been talking "quite loudly" for over an hour.
"A lot of what they were discussing was very troubling, specifically when talking about women in degrading ways, as well as using eugenic arguments around their thoughts on Roe v. Wade," the statement said, per USA Today. "Once it was clear that they were finished with their meal, we told them that our views don't align, and that the language they were using was unwelcome in our space."
Caldwell told Narcity that "whether liberal or conservative, no one should ever be asked to leave a place of business for engaging in political conversation in a respectful dialogue."
"Paradis is promoting a sort of political segregation that hearkens back to the days of the Jim Crow South and runs counter to the restaurant's harm reduction policy," he added.
According to USA Today, the wine bar said that after Caldwell's story began to go viral, it began receiving "genuinely alarming messages online and calls to our personal phones that have ultimately made us decide to take our winter break out of an abundance of caution for ourselves and our community."
If you or someone you know has been the victim of racism, refer to these mental health resources and advocacy supports across the U.S. or contact the Racial Equity Support Line at 503-575-3764.
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