Added: March 18th, 2010

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Two black South Jersey women are boycotting Wal-Mart as authorities investigate a public announcement targeting black shoppers at the Turnersville store over the weekend. Wal-Mart officials said theyre reviewing security tapes to find out who asked all black people to leave the store in a message over the public-address system shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday. Washington Township police, with the assistance of the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office, are investigating the episode as a possible bias crime, said Bernie Weisenfeld, spokesman for the prosecutors office. Ashley Hardie, a corporate spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, described the incident at the Route 42 store as unacceptable to us and to our customers. We are currently reviewing our systems to prevent this from happening in the future, she said. Barbara Pordy, chairwoman of the Gloucester County Human Relations Commission, has spoken with a store manager and is offering counseling to anyone who was troubled by the announcementThe announcement was unacceptable and appalling, Pordy said. Her comments were echoed by the two shoppers who are taking their business elsewhere. Patricia Covington and Shelia Ellington, both of Monroe, said theyre too upset to shop at the discount chain after hearing a male voice calmly announce: Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now. The two women, who are friends, remember customers and store employees looking stunned. Both women said they were glad they left their young children home on this trip because it saved them from explaining to them about race relations. In 2010, I want to know why such statements are being made because it flies in the face of what we teach them at home, and thats tolerance for people, said Ellington, 49. She worked with other customers perturbed by the message to alert store management, township police and local media outlets. And at their request, a public apology was made Sunday evening over the public address system. I cant believe it in this day and age, said Covington, 49. Wal-Mart needs to be more responsible.