I have never done anything this before and I don't think Autumn is going to mind me sharing her story about Enclave Night Club in Chicago. When I read this I thought she is playing the race card but by the time I finished reading it I understood. I believe her story 100 percent. The sad part is this kind social injustice happens everyday and no one is ever held accountable for their actions. I urge the artist we love to read this and ask themselves, Is this the kind of place you really want to associate yourself with? This is part of the reason why I am retired from night club acts in the city of Chicago. The truth is this kind of stuff isn't going to stop until people stand up like Autum. This is her original post from May 6, 2011...
I had a private "party" there and was told that I could get whoever I wanted in for free as long as I had a table/paid for bottles. I had a mix of friends (3 white, 2 black, and an asian to be exact- you may not think this matters but you will see- it did). I noticed that there weren't many black people in there, and that it was predominantly white people but it was early. Later I had three friends text me and tell me they were outside. They told me that the bouncer wouldn't let them in. They weren't even drinking yet, and were dressed up looking very sharp all in our twenties. When I walked outside I asked the bouncer why he wasn't letting them in. He told me that they would have to pay the cover charge when it was their turn. I was ticked off, but handed him the cover charge for all three of them because I knew they had paid for babysitters already and didn't want them to think the club promoter went back on his work when he told me I could have as many people as I wanted (which he obviously did go back on his word). I didn't want to be a problem though. I went to my friends in line and apologized and told them it would just be a couple more minutes in line and they were taken care of. I went inside to get my jacket for the girl for extra warmth, and when I got back they were the next in line to get in. I stayed watching knowing that I paid their cover so I was making sure the bouncer wouldn't make them pay again. Just then the owner comes out, and brings the people that were behind my friends in line, inside. Then the owner walks them in, comes back out, whispers something in the bouncers ear, and brings the next three people standing behind my friends in. I walked up to the bouncer to see what was going on, and he said that he had no idea and I should ask the owner. I politely introduced myself to the owner, and he said "what, you want your friends in?" I told him that would be great, I had a table, I would be winning to buy another bottle at $310/bottle and that I already paid for their cover and they had been waiting for 2 hours while people behind them were getting in. He looked at my friends (2 black guys, and a black girl) and told me that they wouldn't be coming in because they didn't "fit in." I asked him what that meant and he said "take it how you want to but we try and keep the headcount of certain people to a minimum, and they don't fit in." Just then he let a white girl and two white guys in- same age-dressed similar and everything. I thought he was joking, so I asked him if there was some misunderstanding or they were underdressed. He took me inside the doors and told me that they weren't coming in his club. When I asked for a reason, he said that ultimately he has the right to refuse anyone he wants by law and make up any reason he wants. I told him that both men who were with me had a doctorate and the woman was pre-law. He said their education didn't matter, and proceeded to open the door and let the next five people behind my friends in the door. He looked at me and said, "now there are plenty of prestigious customers who would love your table, are you ready to leave so I can make more money?" By then I was pretty upset, and thought about calling the cops, but I thought that no matter what happened, it wasn't going to be solved and I didn't want to be there. I got inside and told my couple of friends inside that we needed to go. They charged my card $600 for a party I didn't even have. We decided to go to another club (a black club where I as a white person felt very accepted), and when we got there the promoter from Enclave texted me saying that the owner had no idea who I was and the owner was so so so sorry and the owner offered to buy us two bottles of Dom if we would come back. I told him that racism isn't covered by bottles of Dom and the damage was already done. I told him that no matter who I was, no one deserved to be treated like that no matter the race too, and that I would never be returning as well as putting my story up on every site I could for people to see. Review by Autum
