Zendaya Says a Grocery Store Clerk Refused to Help Her Because of Her "Skin Tone"
"There is so much progress to be done in our world."
Zendaya has never hesitated to speak out against injustice, so it's no surprise that when she recently experienced discrimination firsthand, she took to Snapchat to sound off.
According to E! Online, Zendaya and a friend were trying to buy some gift cards at a Vons grocery store this week when the situation got very uncomfortable, very quickly. Zendaya explains in a series of Snapchat videos:
Zendaya's friend confirmed her account of the events and agreed that the cashier was "rude."
In the end, a manager helped Zendaya complete the purchase of her $400 worth of gift cards. And Zendaya used the negative experience to talk about the discrimination people of color still face in 2016.
"Long story short, there is so much progress to be done in our world," she said. She ended her story on a positive note, rising above the negativity—per usual. "You know what? It's all love. Maybe she'll go on to have a wonderful life."
Watch Zendaya's entire Snapchat account of the events below:
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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.