An Atlanta gas station owner whose employee was recorded making racist statements says he is selling the location after 66 days of anti-racist protests within the community.
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The protests began outside of an Exxon Mobil station in mid-October after one of the gas station employees was captured on video saying “I don’t give a **** about the Black neighborhood!” Organizer Joe Jones said owner Rahim Sivji and his employees repeatedly displayed racist behavior towards black customers and on multiple occurrences, called them a “begging monkey” and a “food stamp cockroach” as reported by Complex.
Sivji claimed he fired the employee who was recorded on video but decided to put the business on sale after the protests continued. He says, “It got to the point where I’m thinking if I have to save my life or my store, I say the hell with my store, I want to save my life. That’s what’s important to me.” He reportedly lost 70 percent of his revenue amid the protests.
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Jones is planning to purchase the store and he has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funding. Exxon Mobil also condemned the actions of Sivji and his employees and said in a statement:“ExxonMobil does not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment by any company representative. ExxonMobil’s global policies promote diversity and inclusion and prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment in any company workplace, anywhere in the world,”