February 5, 2024
Ayanna Pressley Accuses Walgreens Of ‘Racial And Economic Discrimination’ Amid Closures In Boston District
Some points were made.....
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) called out pharmaceutical conglomerate Walgreens after the company announced another store in a predominantly Black and brown neighborhood would be closing.
She is accusing the pharmacy of “divesting from Black and brown communities” in the Roxbury, Massachusetts, community — where 85% of residents are Black and Latino. In June 2023, the company announced that over 150 stores would shut down nationwide due to low earnings. However, alongside Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-MA), Pressley pointed out the closures are housed in predominantly urban neighborhoods, making it harder for residents to secure needed items and prescriptions. “
“When Walgreens leaves a neighborhood, it disrupts the entire community, and it takes with it–baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications, and, of course, jobs,” Pressley said on the House floor. “These closures are not arbitrary, and they are not innocent. They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination.”
In a letter to Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth, the Democratic legislators accuse the company of shutting down stores in Black and brown neighborhoods with no outside alternative. According to a 2021 study from the University of Southern California, it was found that there were fewer pharmacies in Black and Latino communities within 30 United States cities than in white neighborhoods between 2007 and 2015.
The three legislators argued the closures add to the severe issue of racial and economic discrimination, including food deserts and the lack of reliable transportation.
“Why was there no community input? No adequate notice to customers? And no transition resources to prevent gaps in healthcare?” Pressley asked. “Shame on you, Walgreens.”
Closures are partly due to “unprecedented levels” of lost inventory at retailers nationwide. A study by the National Retail Federation found in 2022, shrink rates increased to 1.6% from 1.4% the previous year, resulting in $112.1 billion in losses.
However, the politician’s calls didn’t go unanswered. Right-winged podcast hosts and former CEOs responded to the congresswoman’s accusations, using racist undertones.
“Maybe tell your friends to stop robbing the store, and Walgreens won’t leave the neighborhood,” Kevin Smith, host of the “Loud Majority Live” podcast, tweeted.
Former presidential hopeful Larry Elder chimed in as well. “Okay @RepPressley, pass the hat, raise money and put a store in the Walgreens location,” he tweeted. “Let’s see how the race card works when people steal from you.”
Others, like former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, blamed Pressley’s defund the police stance as the reason for store closures. “Maybe we should defund the police some more. Yeah, yeah, that will probably help,” he said.
A Walgreens spokesperson responded, sharing that the company alerted customers of the closure two weeks before on Jan. 1. After the closing was delayed, they said another alert was sent out on Jan. 29.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said. “We know that our customers and patients rely on our stores and trust our team members for their healthcare needs. And, when we must close a store, it affects them and their community. Our priority is to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and team members during this time.”
Walgreens also provided customers several options to make the transition easier, including allowing prescription transfers and free same-day prescription delivery for 90 days.