Kiara Young tried to cash a $10,500 check at her local PNC Bank in Michigan when the bank refused to cash it without providing a valid explanation, leaving Young to assume it was because she “banked when she was black.”

Especially considering the check was issued by a local automotive dealer who had an account at PNC Bank, which meant the bank’s name was on the check.

Young, who had just sold her automotive to the dealership, tried to cash the check at her own bank but was told to cash it at PNC Bank since it was theirs. If PNC Bank had reason to consider Young had committed fraud, it could have easily contacted the dealer to confirm the check was legitimate, which is standard protocol for banks.

Instead, the white bank manager who refused to cash the check “behaved unprofessionally, was rude and gave Ms. Young an unfriendly look,” according to a lawsuit Young filed against the bank last 12 months.

“The only investigation he (the bank manager) conducted was to determine Ms. Young’s skin color and check the amount of the check to be cashed,” the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, states.

“Defendant’s failure to examine the check prior to Ms. Young’s refusal to provide services constituted a departure from Defendant’s own policy or practice.”

In fact, Young was able to cash the check the next day at one other PNC branch with none problems, making the bank’s original denial much more suspicious.

PNC Bank responded to the lawsuit by asking the judge to dismiss the case on the grounds that it was “factually incorrect” and “fails to convincingly allege racial discrimination.”

However, greater than a 12 months since the lawsuit was filed, PNC Bank has failed to provide a valid reason why Young was refused service, apart from to claim that the bank was about to close and didn’t have enough cash – details that were revealed Young never explained when she was refused service.

According to the judge’s decision:

Refusal to provide services

Young, a 33-year-old city accountant for the city of Detroit, sold her Cadillac CTX to the company Lunghamer Buick GMC at a automotive dealership in Waterford on May 24, 2023, and was told to cash the check at PNC Bank, where that they had an account.

Young first tried to cash the check at her own bank, but was told the check could be placed on hold, which could take up to a week since it wasn’t theirs. They also advised her to cash it at PNC Bank and receive it the same day.

It was 4:50 p.m. Wednesday when Young walked into the PNC Bank branch in Common Township trying to cash a check. The bank was scheduled to close at 6 p.m

At first, the cashier told her she would have to pay a 2% processing fee, which she agreed to. But then other bank employees began going through the check, apparently becoming suspicious and calling the manager.

The manager then told her that they’d not cash her check unless they bothered to conduct a routine investigation to determine the validity of the check. Instead, the manager told her to cash the check at her own bank.

“She took the check and said, ‘No, we’re not going to cash that,’” Young told The Times. Detroit Free Press.

“I asked, ‘Why not?’ And she replied, “We just cannot.”

Young stated that she “felt embarrassed and humiliated” and cried in the automotive afterwards. The next day, she was able to cash the check at one other PNC branch in Troy with none problems and without having to pay a 2 percent processing fee.

Endless pattern

Earlier this 12 months, one other Detroit bank was sued by a black couple for refusing to cash a settlement check 4 times. Last 12 months, one other black man filed a lawsuit against a Minnesota bank that called the police when he tried to cash a cashier’s check.

In 2022, “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler was handcuffed and detained after trying to withdraw $10,000 from his Bank of America account in Atlanta.

According to reports, Coogler was wearing a hat, sunglasses and a mask and handed the teller a note asking for discretion, but additionally gave her his bank card, ID card and PIN number, This was reported by The New York Times.

The cashier, who was also black, told her manager she was uncomfortable with the transaction and feared Coogler had a gun.

“She got scared when the black guy handed her the note,” Coogler said. “I don’t know what else to say.” He added: “If she was afraid, she has to admit it.”

In 2021, one other Black man was handcuffed after he tried to cash his $900 withdrawal at a US Bank branch in Minneapolis after he said the manager told him, “You guys always come in here with fake checks.” .

Even Black lawyers are treated like criminals when trying to cash checks, as John Pittman II discovered in 2021 when he tried to cash a $12,000 settlement check at a Bank of America branch in San Diego.

“You would think that banks would have learned to be more sensitive to this by now,” lawyer Shereef Akeel told the Free Press, who represents Young and has filed quite a few “Banking While Black” lawsuits.

“We will continue to file discrimination lawsuits until they are over. It is unfortunate that African Americans in the 21st century continue to face such difficulties when seeking simple banking services such as check cashing.”

ASTON, Pa. (AP) — Vice president Kamala Harris plans to deliver the closing speech of his campaign, returning to a location near the White House where Donald Trump helped incite the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 — hoping it will crystallize for voters the struggle between defending democracy and sowing political chaos.

Her campaign says Harris will deliver a speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday – every week before Election Day – and will urge the nation to “turn the page” towards a brand new era, away from Trump.

The site is symbolic because on January 6, 2021, Trump delivered a speech there as Congress was meeting to verify Joe Biden’s victory in the election that took place last November. In it, Trump repeatedly lied about widespread voter fraud that didn’t occur and exhorted supporters to fight back. Then a whole bunch stormed the Capitol In deadly rise up.

Word of the speech got here from a senior Harris campaign official who insisted on anonymity to debate the address, which continues to be being developed. Harris’ campaign is betting that her Ellipse speech will be a chance for the vp to emphasise that the country now not desires to be defined by the political prowess that Trump seems to relish.

Trump has promised to pardon people imprisoned for his or her roles in the attack on the Capitol if he regains the presidency during the November 5 election.

Closing arguments are a vital opportunity for candidates to summarize their campaigns and briefly explain why voters should support them. The Trump campaign suggested he would begin formulating his closing statement during his speech at a rally last weekend in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Instead, the former president spent greater than 10 minutes speaking of genitals the late, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who was born in Latrobe.

Her team announced the Ellipse speech before Harris appeared on Wednesday night at a CNN town hall in suburban Philadelphia, where she took questions from an audience of undecided voters in what was once imagined as a debate with Trump. Harris said she would take part in the CNN debate, but the two sides never reached a proper agreement. CNN reported that it also invited Trump to the town hall. but let that not occur.

Harris told the crowd that on January 6, “the president of the United States defied the will of the people in a free and fair election and unleashed a violent mob that attacked the United States Capitol.”

The first query from the audience got here from a self-described “anti-Trump Republican” who was concerned about the January 6 attack.

“I believe the American people deserve better and deserve a president who is focused on solutions, not sitting in the Oval Office every day conspiring,” Harris said.

As for January 6, about 4 in 10 likely voters in… CNN poll from September said the economy was the most vital factor for them when deciding how one can vote, and about 2 in 10 said protecting democracy was the most vital factor. That in comparison with about 1 in 10 individuals who listed immigration, abortion and reproductive rights as their last name.

Protecting democracy also appears more vital to Democrats and Harris supporters. About 4 in 10 voters who support Harris say that is the most vital issue, compared with about 2 in 10 voters who say this about the economy. According to Republicans and Trump supporters, about 6 in 10 people list the economy as their top voting issue, followed by immigration. Only 5% of Trump supporters said protecting democracy was their most vital issue.

During the town hall, Harris said Trump was “increasingly unstable and unfit to serve.” When asked directly if she believed her opponent was a fascist, Harris replied: “Yes, I do.”

Lifestyle

A short while later, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded: “Kamala will say anything to divert attention from the open border invasion and record high inflation.”

During the event, Harris was asked how her presidency will be different from Biden’s, provided that she has been a part of his administration for nearly 4 years – a matter she has answered in recent weeks without enumerating the foremost contrasts. This time, Harris seemed higher prepared to discuss how things can be different, saying, “My administration will not be a continuation of the Biden administration” and saying she represents “a new generation of leadership on many issues.”

“I’m pointing out things that haven’t been done that need to be done,” the vp said of Biden’s policies, also noting: “I won’t hesitate to say, ‘Hey, these are still problems.’ we have to fix it.” She specifically pointed to her guarantees to extend federal subsidies for small businesses and expand government funding for home health care to individuals who take care of each elderly parents and youngsters.

One viewer pressed Harris on key issues, which she didn’t do. That includes hydraulic fracturing, which she suggested she would support banning while running in the 2020 Democratic primary but now says should proceed. Harris said Wednesday that the U.S. can put money into a greener energy economy without stopping fracking, which is crucial to the economy in parts of Pennsylvania.

She added that she now sees many key policies otherwise: “Honestly, I now have the experience and perspective of being vice president.”

When asked about the biggest weakness she would bring to the White House, Harris replied, “I admit I’m quite a nerd sometimes,” while admitting to creating “parenting mistakes” with her two stepchildren.

The vp also mentioned every day prayer, saying, “I was raised to believe in a loving God, to believe that faith is a verb.”

Our Forever First Lady, Michelle Obama, dropped off her ballot and voted by mail, and he or she’s sharing her experience to remind us how vital it’s to get out and vote, especially with Election Day lower than two weeks away.

In exclusive photo shared with ESSENCE Mrs. Obama showed how easy it’s to vote by mail and encouraged everyone to be sure that they’ve a voting plan, no matter how they vote. “I voted by post! With Election Day less than two weeks away, have you voted yet? “Whether you decide to vote early, by mail or in person on November 5, make sure you have a plan,” she said. Mrs. Obama also encouraged Americans to share how they plan to vote and tag a friend to do the identical.