It’s typically up to bouncers’ discretion to decide who they want to let into a club based on attractiveness and how the person is dressed but a group of black women in Miami Beach say they were prohibited from entering the famed Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel for no other reason than the color of their skin. In fact, the women told NBC 6 they were explicitly told that.
“One security [guard] came up to [my cousin] and he said to her ‘I don’t think that you’re going to get in because you are black,'” said Katuschca Jubuisson, one of the four women who were denied entrance into the hotel’s Arkadia Lounge on a recent Saturday night.
While Katuschca waited with her friends Liz Lopez, Nancy Pierrot, and Kat Bing, the women said they didn’t see any African Americans enter the lounge at all during the hour or so they spent in the lobby, seemingly proving the bouncer’s claim.
“I stood out there for at least forty-five minutes. I saw all these other white girls, you know, getting in and I still waited. The gentleman at the front door behind the velvet rope didn’t even acknowledge us,” Kat said. “One of the security guards saw us and kind of felt bad and approached me. He said you know what he’s not going to let you guys in because you’re black, you know that.”
When Liz texted party promoter Rodrick Dudley who had invited the ladies to the club and told him how they were being treated he basically said the women should have already been prepared for that experience.
“This is south beach a shallow self serving superficial place. They pay me 300 a night to bring attractive women to their establishment and or cats who spend dough. I know what it is going in,” his text reads. “I’ve always been kind and accommodating to you and you’ve never shown me any appreciation which is fine. I don’t need it this is what I do because I like you I tried to cordially give you a heads up warning cause the only reason they let your girls in last time was because I fought to get em in. Its a double standard @ the fountainbleu. White chics can be ok. Black chics gotta look twice as good and they only cater to a so called urban crowd on thursdays and sundays. Peace and love.”
Since hearing of these allegations, the Fountainbleu hotel has released a statement expressing their position as an equal opportunity establishment from employees to patrons. They’ve also denounced Rodrick’s ability to speak for their door policy.
“We have no affiliation whatsoever with Mr. Dudley. He has misrepresented himself as an authority of the Fontainebleau and Arkadia,” the statement reads. “As a result of his violation to our code of ethics, he has been issued a trespassing warning and a cease and desist demand, prohibiting him from using Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s name, image and likeness of any entity affiliated with Fontainebleau Miami Beach.”
While Rodrick has been “directed to never set foot on the Fontainebleau Hotel Property” again, the hotel has invited the four women to return to the lounge and “experience the true level of hospitality that they deserve,” the ladies have passed in favor of moving forward with a lawsuit to prevent any other black women from being discriminated against.
“This can’t possibly be the first time they have done it,” Katuschca said. “I can’t be the first African-American woman that they have decided, you know, ‘you can’t go, we’d rather have you come tomorrow.'”
She’s probably right. Have you ever experienced any racial discrimination at clubs on Miami Beach?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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