Unfortunately, many Black people experience racial profiling simply for entering a store, and that appears to be exactly what happened to a Black woman in Illinois after she visited Sephora at Lincolnwood Mall. According to the woman, the situation began when a male employee approached her while she was holding a bottle of perfume in her hand. He accused her of stealing it and putting it into her bag, even though the item was visibly still in her hand.
That accusation prompted the woman to start filming the interaction, documenting what she believed was clear mistreatment. At the beginning of the video, she calmly asked the employee for his name, but he refused to provide it. He then demanded to see the contents of her bag, which she declined. Instead, she stood her ground and told him, “Call the police,” making it clear that she was not going to comply with what she viewed as an unjust accusation.
The incident quickly drew attention online, with many viewers calling it yet another example of racial profiling in retail settings.
Instead of backing off after the Illinois woman confidently told him to call the police, the employee responded by saying “alright” and walked away. She followed him through the store, asking to see the security footage and demanding to know what he thought she had stolen. “What did I steal?” she asked angrily. When the employee disappeared elsewhere in the store, her frustration escalated. She began cursing and demanding that he come back, while her sister pointed out that she was being racially profiled. “Exactly,” the woman replied, adding that she was prepared to sue Sephora for racial profiling.
As she waited, the woman paced back and forth, telling other employees to call the police. She repeatedly explained that the employee accused her of stealing the moment she picked up the perfume to look at it. She continued venting inside the store, emphasizing that she had no reason to steal a $35 item. A female employee eventually stepped in and attempted to calm the situation, but the woman remained visibly upset and kept raising her voice. She believed she had been watched from the moment she entered the store because of her skin color and demanded the store number, corporate contact information, and the employee’s name so she could file a complaint.
Because she was so angry, much of the video showed her cursing. While her frustration stemmed from the accusation, it spilled over onto multiple employees, including those who had not been involved.
Eventually, the male employee returned after reviewing the security footage and admitted that he was wrong. The woman had not stolen anything. He apologized, but by that point, she refused to accept it, and again demanded his name while he tried to explain. Realizing she was not calming down, the employee turned and walked away. She followed him, continuing to curse and hurl personal insults, including comments about his appearance and finances.
The video ended when the employee entered what appeared to be a staff room and shut the door in her face. Just before that, she asked him directly if he had racially profiled her, which he denied. Despite this, she remained convinced that racial profiling was the root of the incident. In a follow-up video, the woman said she had contacted both a lawyer and corporate about what happened.
Hopefully, situations like this with accusations, escalation, and unresolved anger on all sides can be avoided in the future.
People Reacting to the Black Illinois Woman Being Racially Profiled
Many people were furious about what happened to the Illinois woman and said the incident looked like clear racial profiling. That belief only grew stronger after someone claiming to be a former employee at the same Sephora location left a lengthy comment backing up her claims.
The former employee alleged that racial profiling was common at the Lincolnwood store and encouraged the woman to escalate the issue beyond Sephora, pointing out that the location is operated in partnership with Kohl’s. They also claimed that loss prevention practices were questionable and said that if there had been actual proof of theft, police would have already been involved. According to the commenter, reviews on Google would supposedly support their identity and experiences at the store.
The comment went on to encourage the woman to contact both Sephora and Kohl’s corporate offices and to pursue the matter further, framing the incident as part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated mistake.
While the claims made by the alleged former employee have not been independently verified, their comment added fuel to the backlash and reinforced why so many people felt the woman had been unfairly targeted from the start.
Several people also encouraged the Illinois woman to take legal action. One commenter wrote, “Plsssss sue‼‼ I would’ve called the cops on myself just to get a report and called my lawyer as soon as I left the store!” Others focused less on the accusation itself and more on how the woman reacted, criticizing her for raising her voice and repeatedly cursing during the confrontation.
However, many people pushed back on that criticism, arguing that her reaction was understandable given the circumstances. “Who is she saying there’s no reason to raise your voice?” one person wrote. “I’d be SCREAMING now they want to hide because they’re racist and wrong‼ Wow.” Another echoed that sentiment, adding, “Being racially profiled and publicly embarrassed doesn’t warrant a reaction??? Huh?”
Regardless of how one feels about her response, many agreed on one central point: no one should ever be racially profiled while simply shopping in a store.
