Eve how exactly is it racist to say that someone has a thick accent?
Sheesh.
Well, it’s no more a leap of logic than to call the jeweler racist in the first place, just because the OP is “African-American/Caucasian” (which could make him and his brother whiter than the jeweler, for all we know).
Yes, the sales person was a jerk and never should have treated you and your brother like that. I don’t think that the way the situation was handled was the best, but I also don’t think he should have simply left either. To really make your statement that you and your brother are not going to be treated so bad AND that you are taking your business elseware, the best thing to do would have been to ask for a manager and complain to him/her, THEN state you are taking your business elsewhere.
This does three things. It makes you look like the mistreated customer that you were, sends an official message to that store that you don’t intend to spend your money there (a BIG thing to a store manager), and it will probably start the ball rolling on disciplinary measures to be taken on the salesperson.
Dragwyr is quite right.
The sales person was a jerk (and quite possibly a racist jerk - there are some out there who have managed to hold down retail jobs at jewelry stores, possibly not), but the correct thing to do was not to yell out as you were leaving, but to politely (but still forcibly) say “Excuse me, I believe we were next” or if that didn’t work “I need to speak to your manager” and then not to leave until you have done so. After you’ve done that, follow up at home with a (again polite, well worded) letter to the corporation detailing the poor treatment you got at the store.
They still don’t get your money, but it’s a far more effective way of expressing your dissatisfaction and calling attention to their rudeness than yelling on your way out of the store.
I’m going to agree that the prejudice you encountered was probably about your age more than your race. Teenagers aren’t expected to have enough money to be worth a jewelry store’s time, and he probably figured you weren’t there to buy.
That doesn’t, of course, make it okay that he was a jerk. But I think he was an agist jerk rather than a racist jerk.
You were right in the way you reacted to the jeweler. He’s a prick and just remember that you were the bigger person for not stooping to his level. However I would like to echo alot of the posters here. It’s probably an age issue. Not everything is a racial issue. He could just be a natural prick. Also, if you Crip up to the counter table with your pants sagging down to your ankles with your hat sideways while sporting a “Kill Whitey” T-shirt, generally that doesn’t go too well. Not implying that you were.
We can’t really know why the jeweler treated you that way, but since black teenagers are often judged for being black first and teenagers second*, your conclusion is just as valid as the people saying you were ignored because you were young. Regardless, the guy was clearly rude, so don’t spend much time worrying about it unless you decide to write a letter.
*If you do the right searches, you can find several posts from long time members who have done this very thing, then felt bad about it later.