February 25, 2021

In July of 2020, we issued public statement of apology on behalf of ourselves and Greenlight Bookstore, acknowledging the work that we as a business and individuals need to do from our respective places of privilege to make intentional changes to the way Greenlight operates, and to become a more anti-bias and anti-racist company.

Since then, we have been working in collaboration with our management team and our staff, on our hiring practices, customer service training, and internal communications and staff feedback. We have spent time with our Code of Conduct, which is intended to create a safe space for customers -- and also for our staff.

But in recent months we have heard, most importantly from our booksellers of color, that they have been verbally abused or mistreated by our customers. 

As owners, how our business operates, the experience customers have in our spaces, and the well-being of our staff are our responsibility, and we take that seriously. We will say plainly: it is unacceptable and inexcusable for customers to mistreat our staff, whether through disrespectful language, harassment, threats, or raised voices.

For the health and safety of our staff and community, we have procedures and policies in place and ask visitors to respect them.

Whether in our stores or elsewhere, please be kind to anyone and everyone in a service position. Please do not treat them as less than. Our staff -- and retail employees and frontline workers everywhere -- deserve respect, professionalism and kindness.
 

Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo

Co-Owners, Greenlight Bookstore / Yours Truly, Brooklyn