Racism moment at Carmel, Indiana Verde restaurant

I need to speak on the blatant racism I experienced the moment I walked into this restaurant. As an Afro-Latina woman, I am used to navigating spaces where I’m not always treated with respect—but this was different. This was immediate, obvious, and completely unacceptable.

The second I walked in with my group, a man who appeared to be a manager—bald, in his 40s, wearing a black suit and glasses—looked me up and down with pure judgment. Before even speaking to me, his body language alone made it clear that he had already decided who I was and what I was worth. And then, without hesitation, he assumed I was there for DoorDash.

Let that sink in.

Not a greeting. Not a “how can I help you?” Just an assumption rooted in bias. It was degrading, and it was dehumanizing. No one should be made to feel lesser than simply for existing in their own skin.

If you are Black or Brown, I would strongly reconsider stepping into this establishment. No one deserves to be profiled, dismissed, or disrespected the way I was.