When it comes to social media platforms, Twitter is the one place where you think twice about what you share.
Online retailer Superbalist is currently under the Twitter magnifying glass after the company's employees asked bosses to support the Black Lives Matter movement and the company responded that it is against company policy to speak on matters that doesn't affect their business.
Producer and creative Gina Jeanz, a former Suberbalist employee, expressed her disappointment in the company in the following tweet, "I said it with my chest, I won’t be intimidated, I’ve worked with @superbalist and I’m so disappointed with how the employees are being treated for wanting to address #blacklivesmatter , being told that they should be grateful they have jobs."
Cayleigh Bright, who in fact wrote the company policy, has since responded to company's response with the following tweet:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/superbalist?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@superbalistfrom @ali_hen and @GinaJeanz, I’ve been confused to hear about what allegedly goes “against policies”. Because I wrote the policies. In case I was dreaming I went back and had a look at the handbook that published when I was Head of Copy there. pic.twitter.com/98GtYOTJ5g
— Cayleigh Bright (@CayleighBright)
Superbalist quickly offered an apology which many viewed as weak. People once again didn't hold back. Some going as far deleting the app and vowing to never to use their service.
The Superbalist statement was posted on their Twitter account.
Just as the company thought that the day couldn't get any worse, two posters they have on their site was unearthed by Twitter user @RhodaDavids
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/superbalist?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@superbalistwhen do you remove this from your site? #superbalist pic.twitter.com/cAu5mgivHg
— Rhoda Davids 🇿🇦 (@RhodaDavids)
One poster "B is for Black" showed an illustration of a black crying while the other poster "W is for White" showed a white man in a ray of sunshine.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that both the posters are in fact sold out.
These are some of the responses to this discovery:
Jesus these have been on the site for years, can't believe it's still there. I can't remember the artist's name, I know it's meant to be "satirical", but I've always been uncomfortable with these.
— Just another cat mom (@jesstingaround) June 11, 2020
Side note: I see they've suddenly taken down their whole Art category 👀
They will prob be like, it’s our suppliers and the suppliers will be like but we referenced it’s sourced from Oxford. smh pic.twitter.com/5DMBVypPGi
— Zaahidah (@zaahidah_a) June 11, 2020
I can’t believe this is something that’s on sale in South Africa in 2020 🤯😤 .. I mean the amount of people stuff goes by for approval before it’s put up for sale!!