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Local civil rights group demands accountability from U.S. Bank after racial discrimination incident

by Racial Justice Network
December 9, 2021
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Courtesy of Google Street View

A recent report by KSTP News helped to shed light on an egregious, racially-motivated attack against a Black male customer at U.S. Bank, which took place last year—in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. 

Joe Morrow, a young Black, working-class man, went to U.S. Bank in Columbia Heights intending to cash a $900 check from his employer. 

Instead of being treated like a human being, Mr. Morrow was racially profiled by branch manager John Askwith and accused of attempting to cash a fraudulent check. The bank manager pretended that he had verified that Mr. Morrow’s check was fake, stereotyped Mr. Morrow and all Black people of always trying to cash fake checks, and called the police on Mr. Morrow, which further escalated the situation. 

All of this took place in front of bank customers which caused Mr. Morrow to experience embarrassment and humiliation and further reinforced racial stereotypes of Black men as criminals and untrustworthy.

When Columbia Heights police came on the scene, they contributed to the harm and humiliation that Mr. Morrow experienced by showing deference to the bank manager and ultimately placing Mr. Morrow in handcuffs as if he had committed a crime. 

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“Just last year, the world was forced to watch the public lynching of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, based upon an allegation that he tried to pass a fake $20 bill in a local business establishment. 

“It is unfathomable that U.S. Bank would fail to learn the lesson that calling the police on a Black man for a petty offense could lead to criminalization, or worse, a death sentence,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network.

“U.S. Bank prides itself on valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion, yet it failed to uphold those values in its interactions with a Black customer who was simply trying to gain access to his hard-earned money. U.S. Bank must take swift accountability for its actions and publicly address this matter,” said Sonja Western, teacher, and member of the Racial Justice Network.

We are calling upon U.S. Bank to take the following steps:

  1. Publicly accept responsibility for their discrimination against Joe Morrow, apologize, and take steps to make him whole;
  2. Launch a third-party investigation into the actions of the bank manager who initiated this racially motivated encounter and discipline and/or fire him for his actions and racist comments;
  3.  Require white U.S. bank executives, managers, and employees to participate in anti-racism training; and adjust policies to eliminate and reduce the potential for racial discrimination and bias throughout the company;
  4. Develop a reparations initiative to increase homeownership of Black customers through more equitable lending practices; and
  5. Refrain from calling the police on Black customers in unwarranted situations and develop alternative approaches to addressing petty offenses.

It is our expectation that U.S. Bank will take these matters seriously and will take steps to redress this gross miscarriage of justice.

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The Racial Justice Network (RJN) is a multi-racial, grassroots organization, committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social, and economic lines.

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Comments 3

  1. D Harrington says:
    2 years ago

    Reading the article linked at KSTP reveals the bank manager saying that they supposedly get a lot of fraudulent checks from the issuer. If that’s so, why hasn’t the bank moved the issuer to Positive Pay? Then they know checks are valid, since they have been pre-entered into the USBank’s own system. I do payroll for several companies that, because of rampant check fraud, are required to us the Pos Pay system. But I guess instead of solving the problem without drama, the manager would just rather see black people humiliated and arrested.

  2. Hans says:
    2 years ago

    This bank manager for US Bank in Minnesota would of opened the vault for Bonnie & Clyde even after seeing them on the news robbing another bank. The world we live in. Instead of helping he made the situation worst then it should of been and all because of Profiling kinda like the police out in our streets. Anyways i guess US Bank has enough money to settle all these lawsuits so they don’t care.

    • Edwin E. Vicens says:
      2 years ago

      I’m a Hispanic disabled veteran that applied for a job and after being hired received a fraudulent check from the employer after depositing then check I found out that the company was fraudulent and wanted me to cash a check them Venmo someone most of the money back for supplies. I refused and contacted the fraud department of US Bank. My account was immediately closed and when I went to my branch the manager said your account is closed and the fraud department was not going to let me open my account. I currently have two checks from the VA and my retirement. The manager lied and said since two vendors took money out I was not going to be able to apply with any other bank. I’ve been a member since
      2008 and never done anything fraudulent.

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