A longtime worker at a Youngstown, Ohio Taco Bell franchise was dismissed for wearing a Black Lives Matter (BLM) face mask, sparking outrage online.
In a video that has gone viral, 29-year-old Denzel Skinner is seen being reprimanded by a man, believed to be the manager, who says: “You can’t bring politics into the building.”
Skinner, who has worked at Taco Bell for eight years, responded that the mask did not represent any politics but his own beliefs.
“Bro, I’m not bringing politics in, this is what I’m standing for,” Skinner said. “Like how is this considered politics?”
Skinner said he had lost his job for the wearing the mask.
“This is crazy – all because I got a Black Lives Matter mask on – that I’m losing my job,” Skinner said in the video. “We can wear any type of masks.”
Taco Bell has responded to the incident, saying it was in support of BLM.
“We believe Black Lives Matter. We were disappointed to learn about the incident that took place in Youngstown, OH,” Taco Bell said in a statement.
“We take this very seriously; we have been working closely with our franchisee that operates this location to address the issue.” Daily Mast
