Source: Pedro Becerra / Getty
It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve accomplished, or how much money you have. If you have Black skin, there’s a salty soup cookie ready to call you out your name.
Some of you may be a bit too young to remember this group but you’ve undoubtedly heard at least one of The Four Tops’ iconic records at some point in your life including the likes of “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”
One of the members of that legendary Motown group, Alexander Morris, experienced the type of racism that will make your blood boil with anger. According to Stat News, Morris was taken to Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan in April of 2023 because he was experiencing chest pains and having difficulty breathing.
Here’s where it gets ugly.
When Morris arrived at the hospital he was already on oxygen to aid his breathing. The lawsuit states that he told a nurse and a security guard that he was a member of The Four Tops and had concerns about stalkers and weird fans. When he was admitted into the emergency room, he again disclosed his celebrity and the doctor immediately took him off of oxygen and ordered a psychological evaluation as it was assumed that he was mentally ill.
B-b-b-but wait, it gets worse!
Source: Pedro Becerra / Getty
Morris was frantically trying to show the hospital staff, including the aforementioned nurse and security guard, his identification when the guard told him to “sit his Black ass down,” Morris’ lawsuit alleges.
Oh, but there’s more!
Because they believed that this man was mentally ill, he was placed in a straitjacket! Even when his wife arrived and told the security guard that he was a member of The Four Tops, Morris was STILL denied medical care until he pleaded with a nurse to show her a video of him performing at The Grammy Awards, Stat News adds.
Only then was he removed from the straitjacket and allowed oxygen. By the time he was discharged from the hospital, Morris was diagnosed with a heart attack and pneumonia with the possibility of requiring a heart transplant.
Adding insult to injury, Morris was offered a measly $25 gift card to the local Meijer grocery store.
Source: Pedro Becerra / Getty
Take EVERYTHING. Take every red cent. Fortunately, the obtuse security guard who allegedly made the racist comment died in 2023, so, hopefully, he’s resting without peace in the cozy confines of Hell. Everyone else involved should be out of a job immediately!
